TREASURY

Housing Market

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total equity in domestic homes in aggregate market values (a) now, (b) five years ago and (c) ten years ago.

Andrew Smith: The market value of households' total equity in domestic homes has risen by over 75 per cent. in the past five years. It was:
	(a) £1,535 billion in 2001—Q3;
	(b) £860 billion in 1996—Q3;
	(c) £935 billion in 1991—Q3.

Climate Change Levy

Colin Challen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on the climate change levy.

Paul Boateng: The Government have received representations from a variety of businesses, trade bodies, environmental organisations and other interested parties. They are being considered as part of the Budget process.

Business Regulation

Charles Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from business leaders about the administrative burden on businesses.

Dawn Primarolo: The Chancellor receives many representations from businesses and others on a range of issues, including administrative burdens. He receives a number of representations leading up to each Budget and in response to consultation documents and draft legislation that we publish to ensure that all those affected can have their say. Business leaders are represented on a number of consultative committees that discuss the implementation of new policies.
	The Government welcome these representations and value their contribution to policy development.

Customs and Excise

Eric Illsley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding the seizure of motor vehicles by Customs and Excise in the last three years.

Paul Boateng: Vehicle seizure is proving an effective weapon in tackling smuggling as evidenced by real reductions in levels of cross-channel passenger smuggling and its use has been recommended by two major, independent evaluations in the last three years. Customs have, in response to these recommendations, put in place a robust vehicle seizure policy which hits the smugglers hard. They have gone to great lengths to publicise their policy and ensure that people are aware of the penalties smugglers face.

Child Poverty

Bill Tynan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he will introduce to reduce child poverty in the next four years.

Dawn Primarolo: This Government are committed to abolishing child poverty within a generation and halving it by 2010. As part of this commitment, we recently published a strategy document entitled "Tackling child poverty: giving every child the best possible start in life", which will inform the Budget and Spending Review 2002. As a result of tax and benefit changes announced in the last Parliament, there are now 1.2 million fewer children in poverty than there would otherwise have been.
	During this Parliament, the Government will continue to make progress towards their goals with the introduction of two new tax credits—the child tax credit and the working tax credit. The Government are also making substantial new investments in services for children. Over the four years to 2004, average real-terms annual growth in spending on education and training in England will be over 5½ per cent. In addition, extra funds have been made available for SureStart, Neighbourhood Renewal and the Children's Fund.

Self-employment

John Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with organisations representing the self-employed on levels of their taxation.

Paul Boateng: The Government meet a number of organisations throughout the year to discuss taxation issues.

Inner Cities

John Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he has taken to tackle poverty in inner city areas.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government are committed to tackling poverty and ensuring a just society with opportunity for all.
	As a result of personal tax and benefit measures this Government have introduced since 1997, there are now 1.2 million fewer children in poverty than there otherwise would have been, while the poorest third of all pensioners will receive an extra £2.5 billion this year.
	The working families tax credit and disabled person's tax credit, along with the first ever national minimum wage, are helping to make work pay, while prudent management of the economy is helping to achieve high levels of employment.
	To increase investment in deprived areas, an exemption from stamp duty for all property transfers up to £150,000 became available in the UK's most deprived areas from 30 November 2001.
	To further stimulate business investment in England the Government have committed £20 million in match funding to a £40 million Community Development Venture Fund. This fund will provide finance for firms operating in disadvantaged areas and the Government hope to see it up and running by the end of this financial year.
	The National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal, meanwhile, sets out how the Government will go about narrowing the gap between the most deprived areas and the rest. Key to the strategy is harnessing the mainstream resources of Government Departments, but a £900 million Neighbourhood Renewal Fund is also in place to kick start the renewal process in the 88 most deprived local authority areas.
	The National Strategy and Neighbourhood Renewal Fund are specific to England.

Interest Rates

Edward Davey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee's interest rate decision of 10 January on manufacturing industry.

Ruth Kelly: Decisions on interest rates are a matter for the Monetary Policy Committee. When forming its judgment, the MPC takes into account sectoral and regional information, as required by the Bank of England Act.

Euro

Tim Boswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent analysis he has conducted into the economic implications of euro membership for the United Kingdom.

Ruth Kelly: The Government have said that they will complete an assessment of the five economic tests within two years of the start of this Parliament.

Euro

Michael Connarty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanisms he has put in place to monitor the impact of the euro-zone economies on the UK economy.

Ruth Kelly: The impact of the euro-zone economies on the UK economy is monitored as part of the Treasury's regular forecast rounds. Further information can be found in the Treasury's pre-Budget and Budget reports.

Euro

Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last discussed convergence criteria with the Governor of the Bank of England.

Ruth Kelly: The Chancellor meets regularly with the Governor of the Bank of England to discuss a range of issues.

Euro

Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take action to ensure a downward revision of the exchange rate of sterling against the euro.

Ruth Kelly: While the Government do not have an exchange rate target, a stable and competitive pound is sought over the medium-term. The key to a stable and competitive pound is low and stable inflation, backed up by sound public finances.

Euro

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on his five economic tests for joining the euro.

Ruth Kelly: The Chancellor has discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a regular basis, and on a wide range of issues.

Euro

Mike Gapes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of euro notes and coins on the British economy.

Ruth Kelly: UK businesses that have trading links with the euro area, not just those who export or import, will be affected. The Government are therefore committed to working with business to secure the right level of euro preparations in the UK for working with the euro now.

International Development

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the Government will reach the UN 0.7 per cent. of gross national product target for international aid.

Paul Boateng: The Government remain fully committed to the UN 0.7 per cent. ODA/GNP target. We have set out our plans for the next three years to 2003–04 and, as these show, development assistance as a proportion of GNP will rise to 0.33 per cent. in 2003–04, up from 0.26 per cent. in 1997. In his speech in New York and in his pre-Budget report speech, the chancellor emphasised his commitment to ensuring further substantial increases in development assistance. The forthcoming Spending Review is an opportunity to consider plans for development spending beyond 2003–04, alongside other priorities and pressures.
	Aid effectiveness is also important as well as aid volumes. The Government are committed to redirecting their development assistance budget to the poorest countries, particularly those with effective Governments pursuing high growth and pro-poor economic and social policies. In addition, the Government have untied all their aid as from 1 April last year.

Taxation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the proportion of revenue raised by (a) direct and (b) indirect means.

Andrew Smith: No such estimates are available, however a detailed breakdown of current receipts is published in Table B11 of the November 2001 pre- Budget report.

Taxation

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he is taking to relieve the burden of taxation on the poorest families.

Dawn Primarolo: As a result of personal tax and benefit measures introduced since 1997, families with children in the poorest fifth of the population are on average £1,700 a year better off. The new working tax credit and child tax credit, the rates and thresholds of which will be announced in the Budget, will do more to help families on low incomes.

Low-income Families

Louise Ellman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he is taking to support families on low income.

Dawn Primarolo: Over the course of the last Parliament, the Government introduced a number of changes to help provide decent family incomes, including:
	increasing child benefit;
	introducing the children's tax credit;
	introducing the working families' tax credit; and
	increasing the children's allowances in income support.
	WFTC now benefits nearly 1.3 million families and on average these families are receiving £35 a week more than they did under family credit.
	Building on success of WFTC, the Government will be introducing from 2003 a new credit for families with children, the child tax credit. We will provide a seamless stream of support for families, paid direct to the main carer, building on the foundations of universal child benefit. The child tax credit will be complemented by the working tax credit, which aims to improve work incentives and make work pay.

Deprived Areas

Derek Twigg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to increase the levels of public expenditure on public services in areas of deprivation.

Andrew Smith: The Government are committed to narrowing the gap in outcomes between the most deprived parts of the country and the rest. The National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal, published last year, sets out the Government's approach to renewing poor neighbourhoods.
	Central to that approach is the harnessing of mainstream spending by Government Departments, to ensure improved basic standards of service provision in all areas of the country. Supporting this mainstream spending are a number of additional programmes, targeted toward helping the poorest off.

Aggregates Levy

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the aggregates producers and construction industries in (a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the UK on the implementation of the aggregates levy.

Paul Boateng: A number of discussions have recently been held at both ministerial and official level with representatives of the aggregates industries throughout the UK, including Scotland, about the implementation of the aggregates levy.

Aggregates Levy

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of (a) the benefit of the proposed reduction in national insurance contributions as a result of the introduction of the aggregates levy in Scotland and (b) the yield of the levy.

Paul Boateng: The reduction in employers' national insurance contributions associated with the introduction of the aggregates levy, along with the new sustainability fund, is designed to ensure that the aggregates levy does not result in an increased burden to business as a whole. The expected yield from the aggregates levy was published in November 2001 in the pre-Budget report.

Heavily Indebted Countries

Roger Casale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further steps he is taking to reduce the foreign debt of the world's poorest countries and to eliminate global poverty.

Paul Boateng: The UK continues to work hard to ensure that the Heavily Indebted Country (HIPC) initiative delivers a sustainable relief from debt for eligible countries. We also call on other countries to follow our leads on bilateral policies, such as 100 per cent. relief at Decision Point, and in holding payments in trust for those countries yet to receive debt relief. Already 24 countries have qualified for debt relief, and they will benefit from over $56 billion in debt reduction, which will bring their debts to below the average of developing countries.
	The objective of the UK's development assistance programme is to help reduce global poverty. We recognise the need to increase the overall level of finance for development in order to achieve this and have been active in mobilising increased international resources. In his speech to the Federal Reserve bank on 16 November, the Chancellor proposed the creation of an international development trust fund and called upon donor nations to substantially increase their development assistance budgets.

Tourism

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the level of value added tax applied to tourism services; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: The Government have received various representations about the level and impact of VAT on the tourism industry, generally from businesses affected by the foot and mouth outbreak. The Government are aware of the serious financial difficulties some of these businesses are facing and have put in place a package of measures specifically aimed at helping them. This includes flexible VAT payment arrangements for all those experiencing genuine difficulties and a joint helpline, set up by Customs and the Inland Revenue, to help resolve tax matters.

Budget

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with business leaders in advance of his forthcoming Budget.

Paul Boateng: The Chancellor and his Ministers have numerous meetings with business leaders on a wide range of issues.

Internet Use

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library the information in the National Statistics Omnibus for (a) 2000 and (b) 2001 on internet use, broken down by (i) age and (ii) gender, in each region and nation of the United Kingdom.

Ruth Kelly: The information falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 24 January 2002
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question regarding data from the National Statistics Omnibus on internet use, for 2000 and 2001, broken down by (i) age and (ii) gender in each region and nation of the United Kingdom. (29695)
	Since July 2000, the National Statistics Omnibus Survey has provided information on internet use for individuals in Great Britain based on a month's data gathered four times a year. These data are published along with household level data from the Expenditure and Food Survey, each quarter in the National Statistics First Release on Internet Access. These releases include background information on the National Statistics Omnibus Survey and the Expenditure and Food Survey.
	The internet access first releases presenting the latest figures on internet access are available in the House of Commons Library. The release dated December 2001 presented data from the Expenditure and Food Survey for households with home access to the internet broken down by region.
	Currently regional breakdowns of the individual level data from the Omnibus Survey are not published by age and gender in the internet access first releases as they are not reliable at that level of detail due to small sample sizes. We are currently investigating combining the four months of data to produce annual estimates which will increase the sample size and reliability of the information. If the results are then sufficiently robust we will publish this information and make it available in the House of Commons Library. We will inform you of the outcome.

Private Sector Capital

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the private sector net capital flow to and from the United Kingdom in each of last five years, indicating flows to (a) the USA, (b) South and Central America, (c) sub-Saharan Africa and (d) India and Pakistan.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 24 January 2002
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on private sector net capital flows between the United Kingdom and (a) the USA, (b) South and Central America, (c) sub-Saharan Africa and (d) India and Pakistan. (29700)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not compile a full geographical breakdown of the United Kingdom's financial account (previously known as the capital account) flows, although some information is available for the direct investment component. A limited geographical breakdown of UK foreign direct investment, both abroad and in the UK is published annually in the Foreign Direct Investment first release. This first release was published on 13th December 2001 and is available in pdf file format from the ONS website in the press release facility:
	http://www.statistics/gov.uk/press release/Archive.asp
	More country information is available directly from the FDI inquiry itself. The contact details of the statistician responsible are printed on the front page of the first release.

Nuclear Industry

Julia Drown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for (a) fiscal measures and (b) other charges on the nuclear industry to take account of risks of nuclear accidents that are not met by the industry's own insurance.

Paul Boateng: None. The third-party liability of nuclear installations is governed by international agreement. This is set at £140 million. In the UK, we require installations to purchase insurance for third-party cover for each incident up to this limit. The Department for Trade and Industry is currently negotiating with international partners to triple this limit. The nuclear industry will need to pay for additional commercial cover up to this limit; but we have no plans for fiscal or other charges.

Overseas Development

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the timetable for the achievement of the UN target for overseas development assistance and on steps taken to encourage other nations to increase aid budgets.

Paul Boateng: The Government remain fully committed to the UN 0.7 per cent. ODA/GNP target. We have set out our plans for the next three years to 2003–04 and as these show, development assistance as a proportion of GNP will rise to 0.33 per cent. in 2003–04, up from 0.26 per cent. in 1997. In his speech in New York, the Chancellor emphasised his commitment to ensuring further substantial increases in development assistance. In his speech in New York in November, he called on all rich nations to commit further substantial increases to development assistance.

Pre-Budget Report

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will extend table 4.3 on the pre-Budget report by showing comparable figures for marginal deduction rates of (a) 50 per cent. or more and (b) 40 per cent. or more.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 30 November 2001
	Before Budget 1998, an estimated 760,000 households faced marginal deduction rates (MDRs) of 50 per cent. or more, while 800,000 faced MDRs of 40 per cent. or more. After Budget 2001, an estimated 1.1 million households faced MDRs of 50 per cent. or more while 1.12 million faced MDRs of 40 per cent. or more. These figures, which cover the number of households in receipt of either income related benefits or WFTC where at least one person works 16 hours or more, include the effects of income tax and national insurance contributions, and the withdrawal of housing benefit and council tax benefit. The effect of tax and benefit changes introduced since Budget 1998, including the working families tax credit (WFTC), has reduced the number of households facing MDRs in excess of 70 per cent. by around half a million. As the WFTC is more generous than the family credit that it replaced, more families benefit from it, hence the larger numbers of households now facing MDRs at 40 and 50 per cent.

Tax Credits Fraud

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many penalties have been imposed on claimants for (a) working families tax credit and (b) disabled persons tax credit in each year since the credits commenced; how many of these penalties were imposed as a result of fraud; and what the total value of the penalties was.

Dawn Primarolo: The tables show the number of penalties imposed on applicants for working families tax credit and disabled person's tax credit (WFTC and DPTC) for the periods in question. Since WFTC and DPTC were introduced in October 1999 up to 31 December 2001, 645 penalties have been imposed against WFTC and DPTC applicants. The total value of these penalties is £596,863.13.
	
		
			  Number of penalties 
		
		
			 WFTC  
			 1 October 1999–30 September 2000 106 
			 1 October 2000–30 September 2001 401 
			 1 October 2001–31 December 2001 128 
			   
			 DPTC  
			 1 October 1999–30 September 2000 1 
			 1 October 2000–30 September 2001 8 
			 1 October 2001–31 December 2001 1

Footballers' Testimonials

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will treat the proceeds from footballers' testimonials as taxable income.

Dawn Primarolo: The proceeds from footballers' testimonial events may already be chargeable to tax under present law. However, whether they are or not depends on the circumstances of each particular case.

Poverty

John Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to reduce poverty in inner city areas.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government are committed to tackling poverty and ensuring a just society with opportunity for all.
	As a result of personal tax and benefit measures this Government have introduced since 1997, there are now 1.2 million fewer children in poverty than there otherwise would have been, while the poorest third of all pensioners will receive an extra £2.5 billion this year.
	The working families tax credit and disabled person's tax credit, along with the first ever national minimum wage, are helping to make work pay, while prudent management of the economy is helping to achieve high levels of employment.
	To increase investment in deprived areas, an exemption from stamp duty for all property transfers up to £150,000 became available in the UK's most deprived areas from 30 November 2001.
	To further stimulate business investment in England, the Government have committed £20 million in match funding to a £40 million Community Development Venture Fund. This fund will provide finance for firms operating in disadvantaged areas and the Government hope to see it up and running by the end of this financial year.
	The National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal meanwhile, sets out how the Government will go about narrowing the gap between the most deprived areas and the rest. Key to the strategy is harnessing the mainstream resources of Government Departments, but a £900 million Neighbourhood Renewal Fund is also in place to kick start the renewal process in the 88 most deprived local authority areas.
	The National Strategy and Neighbourhood Renewal Fund are specific to England.

Self-Assessment (Tax)

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many fines were levied for the late return of self-assessment tax forms from people resident in the Buckingham constituency in the last 12 months; and how much was raised.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue does not hold local figures of this nature.

Self-Assessment (Tax)

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people (a) in total and (b) living in the Buckingham constituency were fined for late filing of self-assessment forms in each year since 1997; and how much revenue was raised in each year.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue does not hold local figures of this nature. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave him on 15 January 2002, Official Report, columns 226–27W, for the national figures requested.

Aggregates Tax

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to exempt small rural quarries from the proposed aggregates tax.

Paul Boateng: The Government have no such plans.

Small Businesses (Insurance)

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of changes to the cost and availability of insurance for small businesses since 11 September; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: Insurance companies themselves remain responsible for determining the terms, conditions, and price of their products. Costs and availability change constantly in response to market conditions.
	I am not aware of any greater changes since 11 September, except in the case of insurance against terrorism risk. Nor am I aware of any special impact on small businesses.

Working Families Tax Credit

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the reply of 19 December 2001, Official Report, columns 323–34W, how many of the working families tax credit applications investigated by the Inland Revenue involved co-operation between the Inland Revenue and (a) the investigative organisations of the Benefits Agency, (b) the National Intelligence Unit and (c) local authorities; and what proceedings are in place for facilitating such co-operation.

Dawn Primarolo: Exact figures are not available in the format requested. However, the nature of such investigations often means that information is shared and passed on between the Inland Revenue, other Government Departments and local authorities, as allowed by statutory regulations.

DEFENCE

C130K

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 26 November 2001, Official Report, column 662W, how many C130Ks he plans to decommission in each year over the next 10 years; and when he plans to have completed its phasing out.

Adam Ingram: Current plans for the last element of the rolling programme to replace part of the Hercules C130K fleet with C130Js are for two of the C130K aircraft based at RAF Lyneham to be retired by 30 April 2002 and one aircraft to be retired towards the end of 2002. There are currently no detailed plans for the decommissioning of the remaining 26 C130K Hercules, which is predicted to occur by around the end of this decade.

Service Applicants (Fitness)

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of applicants to the (a) Army, (b) RAF, (c) Royal Navy and (d) Royal Marines were turned down on medical grounds in each quarter of the last seven years, broken down by gender.

Adam Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 339W. The information that is available is shown in the table, which includes some corrected and updated figures for Royal Marine Other Ranks. A breakdown by gender is only available for the Army. The principal reason for the significant variation in failure rates between the RAF other ranks and those of the other services is that the medical examination is undertaken at a much later stage in the selection process, by which time many of the applicants have already withdrawn for other reasons.
	
		
			  Medical rejections  
			 Service Number Percentage of applicants 
		
		
			 Royal Navy Officers   
			 1996–97 32 2.7 
			 1997–98 16 1.1 
			 1998–99 32 2.3 
			 1999–2000 39 2.7 
			 2000–01 43 3.0 
			 2001–02(1) 35 3.2 
			
			 Royal Navy Ratings   
			 1996–97 544 6.7 
			 1997–98 764 8.9 
			 1998–99 813 8.2 
			 1999–2000 821 8.7 
			 2000–01 923 9.8 
			 2001–02(1) 626 10.2 
			
			  Royal Marines Officers 
			 1996–97 3 0.9 
			 1997–98 1 0.4 
			 1998–99 3 0.9 
			 1999–2000 18 5.7 
			 2000–01 21 4.9 
			 2001–02(1) 7 2.7 
			
			  Royal Marines Other Ranks(2) 
			 1996–97 55 2.0 
			 1997–98 91 2.8 
			 1998–99 126 3.7 
			 1999–2000 189 4.9 
			 2000–01 200 5.5 
			 2001–02(1) 140 6.3 
			
			 Army Officers   
			 1995–96 30 2.0 (80%m, 20%f) 
			 1996–97 38 2.4 (79%m, 21%f) 
			 1997–98 41 2.6 (78%m, 22%f) 
			 1998–99 42 3.7 (81%m, 19%f) 
			 1999–2000 60 4.9 (80%m, 20%f) 
			 2000–01 33 2.9 (76%m, 24%f) 
			 2001–02(1) 43 7.2 (77%m, 23%f) 
			
			 Army Other Ranks   
			 1997–98 1,880 10.3 (81%m, 19%f) 
			 1998–99 2.304 11.1 (81%m, 19%f) 
			 1999–2000 1,660 8.0 (84%m, 16%f) 
			 2000–01 1,132 5.5 (87%m, 13%f) 
			 2001–02(1) —(3) —(3) 
			
			  Royal Air Force Officers 
			 1996–97 184 3.5 
			 1997–98 183 3.8 
			 1998–99 215 4.2 
			 1999–2000 215 4.0 
			 2000–01 255 5.4 
			 2001–02(1) 107 14.2 
			
			  Royal Air Force Airmen/Airwomen 
			 1996–97 56 1.3 
			 1997–98 88 0.9 
			 1998–99 105 0.6 
			 1999–2000 126 0.8 
			 2000–01 193 1.2 
			 2001–02(1) 184 1.8 
		
	
	(1) The figures for 2001–02 are as at 7 December 2001
	(2) Women are currently only permitted to join the Royal Marine Band Service
	(3) Army Other Rank figures unavailable for 2001–02

Newspaper Advertising

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the expenditure of his (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies on newspaper advertising by title in each year since 1997.

Lewis Moonie: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, since 1999–2000, the Ministry of Defence's total public relations expenditure has been published in the annual departmental performance report.

Legislation

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he plans to introduce a similar measure to the US Montgomery GI Enhancement Act in the UK.

Adam Ingram: I have no such plans.

Trident

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the studies sponsored by his Department in each of the last three years concerning future options for Trident.

Adam Ingram: We said in the Strategic Defence Review of 1998 that we need to ensure that Trident can remain an effective deterrent for up to 30 years. As with other key military capabilities, we routinely undertake studies into options for achieving the optimum operational life and value for money.

Service Deployment

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries in which British troops are (a) stationed and (b) active.

Adam Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave to the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) on 16 January 2002, Office Report, column 316. A copy of this letter was sent on 19 January 2002, and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House. British troops are deployed on active service in 18 countries and overseas territories in the Balkans, the middle east, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Georgia, the United States of America, Africa and Asia, as well as at sea.

Royal Navy Vessels

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy vessels have been brought into service since 1997; and for how long they are estimated to remain in service.

Adam Ingram: The Royal Navy has brought 16 vessels into service since 1997. On current plans their estimated remaining service lives are as shown in the table.
	
		
			 Vessels brought into service since 1997 Estimated remaining service life (years) 
		
		
			 HMS Ocean 16 
			 HMS Grafton 18 
			 HMS Kent 19 
			 HMS Portland 19 
			 HMS Sutherland 18 
			 HMS Penzance 21 
			 HMS Pembroke 21 
			 HMS Grimsby 22 
			 HMS Bangor 22 
			 HMS Ramsey 23 
			 HMS Blyth 24 
			 HMS Vigilant (4)— 
			 HMS Vengeance (4)— 
			 HMS Scott 20 
			 HMS Raider 21 
			 HMS Tracker 20 
		
	
	(4) Information withheld under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, relating to defence, security and international relations.

Royal Navy Vessels

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy vessels have been decommissioned since 1997; and what the age of each of the vessels was.

Adam Ingram: Since 1997 21 Royal Navy Vessels have been decommissioned. The age of each vessel when decommissioned is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Vessels decommissioned since 1997 Age of vessel when decommissioned (years) 
		
		
			 HMS Peacock 14 
			 HMS Plover 14 
			 HMS Starling 13 
			 HMS Birmingham 26 
			 HMS Boxer 18 
			 HMS Beaver 16 
			 HMS Brave 17 
			 HMS London 14 
			 HMS Bicester 15 
			 HMS Berkeley 14 
			 HMS Orwell 15 
			 HMS Orkney 22 
			 HMS Blackwater 13 
			 HMS Spey 13 
			 HMS Arun 12 
			 HMS Itchen 13 
			 HMS Herald 28 
			 HMS Intrepid 37 
			 HMS Bulldog 34 
			 HMS Cromer 11 
			 HMS Coventry 15

Warships

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to complete the Review of Warship Maintenance and Support; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is seeking to modernise arrangements for warship support and achieve savings to the defence budget. We have received proposals from the dockyard companies for potential partnering arrangements at the naval bases at Portsmouth, Devonport and the Clyde. We have also received alternative proposals from our trade unions for the pursuit of efficiencies at the naval bases. All options are currently being compared for value for money, together with their technical, commercial and human resource implications, for a decision in the near future.

Royal Armoured Corps

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is (a) the establishment and (b) the actual strength, excluding attached troops, of the regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps.

Adam Ingram: The establishment and strength of the regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps as at 1 December 2001 is detailed in the table:
	
		
			 Regiment Establishment Strength 
		
		
			 Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment 324 312 
			 Queens Dragoon Guards 358 383 
			 Scots Dragoon Guards 451 386 
			 9th/12th Royal Lancers 358 353 
			 2 Royal Tank Regiment 460 447 
			 Royal Dragoon Guards 451 459 
			 Household Cavalry Regiment 421 412 
			 Queen's Royal Hussars 451 300 
			 King's Royal Hussars 451 417 
			 Light Dragoons 429 391 
			 Queen's Royal Lancers 451 253 
			 Joint Nuclear Biological and Chemical Regiment 200 196

Pensions

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration the Armed Forces Pension Scheme review has given to using additional voluntary contributions as a means of making specialist pay pensionable; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence plans to introduce a facility to enable all serving personnel to make additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) through deductions from pay, to enable them to "top up" their pension benefits where they have scope to do so under Inland Revenue rules. This would also be available for those on specialist pay. As we made clear in our consultation document on the current review of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme, published in March of last year, we are also considering the option that MOD, as employer, might fund part of the costs of AVCs in respect of specialist pay. The decision will depend on whether or not this is judged to be a reasonable and cost-effective way of improving recruitment and retention. A decision on the review is expected later this year.

Pensions

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for an education campaign to enable armed forces personnel to make informed judgments on the Armed Forces Pension Review Body's conclusions.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is in the process of developing a multi-media communications package which we plan will comprise booklets, letters, factsheets, internet material, personal forecasts, presentations and roadshows designed to enable all serving military personnel to make a timely and informed judgment about the relative merits of the current Armed Forces Pension Scheme and the anticipated new scheme.

Pensions

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment the Armed Forces Pension Review Body has made of proposals to uplift for inflation the best of the three final years of a serviceman or woman's service when determining pensionable pay; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: In the Ministry of Defence's consultation document on the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) Review, the MOD indicated the intention to move to a final salary scheme and the possibility of basing the pension on the best year's salary in the three years before retirement. In response to views expressed during the consultation, we are currently considering whether we might introduce a mechanism to provide an uplift for inflation under the new AFPS.

Welbeck Army College

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future use of Welbeck Army College.

Adam Ingram: The Army sixth form college will remain at its current Welbeck home until at least September 2005. Following detailed examination during the Defence Training Review, it has been decided to expand the college to include students from the RAF, Royal Navy and the civil service. A public-private partnership (PPP) project is currently under way to deliver the requirements of the Defence sixth form college, and this will be judged against a benchmark site at a former Army Barracks at Garats Hay near Loughborough. I must stress that the private sector is not constrained by this benchmark, and tenderers will be given the opportunity of selecting an alternative site to provide the facilities and services. It is too early to say where the college will ultimately be sited.

Army Complement

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the change in the shortfall in the official complement of the Army was between (a) 1 May 1997, (b) 1 May 2001 and (c) the latest date for which the figure is available.

Adam Ingram: The table shows the shortfall in whole Army strength figures against the in-year requirement as at 1 May 1997, 1 May 2001 and 1 December 2001 which are the latest data available.
	
		
			  Shortfall 
		
		
			 (a) 1 May 1997 4,933 
			 (b) 1 May 2001 6,761 
			 (c) 1 December 2001 6,169

US Forces

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he takes to ensure that activities undertaken by US forces operating in the UK are consistent with the terms of the European convention on human rights; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 22 January 2002
	US forces operating in the UK are a visiting force, and as such are subject to the NATO Status of Forces agreement of 1951, which requires a visiting force to respect the law of the host nation. Our legislation recognises the European convention on human rights.

EU/NATO Capabilities

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) those non-EU European NATO member countries and other EU applicant countries who have offered contributions for improving European military capability and (b) those countries whose offer has been (i) accepted and (ii) rejected; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The countries are:
	Bulgaria
	Republic of Cyprus
	Czech Republic
	Estonia
	Hungary
	Iceland
	Latvia
	Lithuania
	Malta
	Norway
	Poland
	Romania
	Slovak Republic
	Slovenia
	Turkey.
	The EU has welcomed all these contributions.

EU/NATO Capabilities

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress made by the EU/NATO working groups on (a) the preparation of an EU/NATO security agreement, (b) the setting of capability goals, (c) the preparation of an agreement on the modalities for EU access to NATO assets and capabilities and (d) the definition of permanent arrangements for future EU/NATO consultations in times of crisis and non-crisis; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: Work between the EU and NATO continues in all the areas mentioned. An interim security agreement is in place. Discussions continue on details of a permanent arrangement. NATO experts have been closely involved with EU colleagues in work to elaborate and identify the capabilities required for the Headline Goal. The EU's capability action plan will be implemented in close co-operation with relevant NATO initiatives. We have made good progress towards agreement on EU access to NATO assets and capabilities, although arrangements are not yet finalised. Permanent consultation arrangements between NATO and the EU were defined at Nice and have been implemented satisfactorily. Consultation and transparency between the two organisations have been very good.

EU/NATO Capabilities

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to take an initiative within the European Union to improve the arrangements for the participation of non-EU allied countries in the ESDP in order to create an associate status for the countries concerned; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The EU is committed to the fullest possible involvement of both the non-EU European allies and the EU accession partners in the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).
	The Nice European Council agreed a substantial set of provisions governing consultation with these countries and arrangements for their participation in EU-led operations. These arrangements already provide for a high level of participation by our non-EU European allies in ESDP.

Operation Fingal

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he anticipates that the UK numbers of ground troops in Operation Fingal will be substantially reduced.

Adam Ingram: I anticipate that the number of UK forces involved in Operation Fingal, the UK contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), will reduce substantially when the UK command of the ISAF ends in mid-April 2002.

International Terrorism

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his European counterparts regarding the Belgian initiative of drawing up a White Paper on European security by submitting a WEU contribution on the repercussions of countering the threat that international terrorism poses for collective defence; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: Discussions were held during the Belgian Presidency of the EU with a view to commissioning the EU Institute for Security Studies to produce an academic overview of member states' defence policies. This work will be taken forward under the Spanish Presidency.

European Crisis Management

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for the EU Council to establish an intergovernmental council fund for European military and non-military crisis-management operations outside the control of the Commission and the European Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: Discussions are continuing between EU member states over the financial arrangements to be put in place for European military and any non-military crisis management operations under the Common Foreign and Security Policy. No decisions have yet been reached.

European Defence

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are to transform the informal meeting of EU defence ministers into a formal defence council meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 22 January 2002, Official Report, column 736W. There are no plans to transform informal Defence Ministers' meetings into a formal council.
	We expect informal meetings of EU Defence Ministers to continue, and the General Affairs Council provides a forum for formal decision-making as and when required.

European Defence

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the EU military exercise programme covering the period 2001 to 2006.

Geoff Hoon: The exercise programme is confined to political/military decision making procedures. There are no plans to hold separate EU field exercises.
	European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) procedures will be exercised for the first time in May 2002. This exercise will test top level co-ordination and the decision-making procedures of the ESDP bodies, including the Political and Security Committee, the EU Military Committee and the EU Military Staff. In 2003 there are plans to hold another exercise at this higher strategic level with EU and NATO bodies, and a workshop to examine the role of deployable force headquarters at the operational level.
	Beyond that, the EU envisages further exercises, expanded to include testing of the linkages and procedures between the higher strategic level structures and potential operational headquarters for EU-led operations, such as SHAPE or national headquarters like the UK's Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood. However, no detailed exercise planning beyond 2002 has been carried out.
	EU troop exercises are unnecessary, as current programmes of national, NATO and bi or multi-lateral exercises are already sufficient to generate the capabilities that the EU is likely to require.

Armed Forces (Marital Status)

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what programmes are run by the RAF, the Army and the Royal Navy to assist service men and women who are experiencing relationship breakdown; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 23 January 2002
	The services rarely interfere or become directly involved in matrimonial or relationship disputes, unless requested to do so by the parties concerned, as these are essentially a private matter. Nevertheless, each service places great importance on the welfare of service families, recognising the significant contribution they make as well as the deleterious effects of mobility and separation aspects of service life. Consequently, there is a range of welfare facilities able to provide help and support on a wide range of issues, including relationship breakdown if requested. The service welfare organisations liaise with Relate at local level and provide those service personnel seeking professional marriage guidance counselling with an early referral.
	With the naval service personnel are able to meet with a professional from one of the Navy's caring organisations: the Naval Personal and Family Service (NPFS) or the Naval Chaplaincy Service (NCS). The NPFS employs qualified social workers able to offer direct advice, counselling, support (practical and emotional) and advocacy on behalf of clients.
	Within the Army, the main source of help is through the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association—Forces Help (SSAFA-FH), a charity contracted to provide a range of professional welfare services, particularly overseas. Army personnel also have access to other welfare organisations, available at most garrisons, as follows: the Army Welfare Service (AWS), the Army Families Federation (AFF) and the Army Families Advice Bureau (AFAB). In Germany, the Army also provides funding for dependants to return to the UK to be trained in marriage guidance counselling by Relate; this then provides an additional resource in theatre.
	As with the other two services, the RAF has no programmes in place specifically to provide assistance to those experiencing relationship problems. However, there are a number of networks and organisations available to individuals or couples able to provide support and guidance if requested. These include the SSAFA-FH RAF(UK) Social Work Service which has staff based on 32 Stations in the UK. The RAF has recently launched a community support website that gives practical information and links to organisations which may be able to provide the necessary help and guidance. The website, www.rafcom.co.uk, is designed to tackle issues that may contribute to relationship problems.

Gulf War

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to apply for funds, in order to assist UK service men, from the seized assets of Saddam Hussein made available by the US Government for anybody affected by the Gulf war.

Lewis Moonie: I have no such plans. The Ministry of Defence cannot use frozen Iraqi funds to pay compensation to individuals who have suffered as a result of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Only a small percentage of the Iraqi funds frozen by the UK authorities under UN resolutions actually belong to the Iraqi Government, the bulk belonging either to businesses or private individuals who are resident in Iraq. UN resolutions do not allow the use of these funds in this way.
	Claims against Iraq were handled by the UN Compensation Commission (UNCC). The UNCC imposed a deadline for the submission of claims of 1 January 1995. Claims from UK claimants to the UNCC were submitted via the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Claims Section.
	I cannot comment on the policy of the US Government towards their own personnel.

Territorial Army

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 828–29W, on the Territorial Army, when he will write to the hon. Member for New Forest West.

Lewis Moonie: I wrote to the hon. Member on 23 January.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Public Relations Consultants

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by (a) his Department and (b) bodies for which it is responsible on external public relations consultants in each of the last four years.

Denis MacShane: The total expenditure by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on external public relations consultants in the last four years was:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2001–02 (5)60,904 
			 2000–01 347,857 
			 1999–2000 0 
			 1998–99 59,337 
		
	
	(5) Financial year to date
	The bulk of the expenditure in 2000–01 relates to the "Know Before You Go" public awareness campaign aimed at encouraging UK travellers to be better prepared when travelling overseas.
	Among the FCO's executive non-departmental public bodies, only the British Council has engaged such consultants in the same period. The costs were:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2001–02 (6)20,925 
			 2000–01 4,650 
			 1999–2000 3,256 
			 1998–99 214,901 
		
	
	(6) Taking December 2001 as the last month
	The figure for 1998–99 includes costs connected with the British Council's "Vision" project. The project looked at re-defining the Council's purpose and strategic direction and examining its visual identity.

Saville Inquiry

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what costs have been incurred by his Department to date in connection with the Saville inquiry; and what his estimate is of the final cost to his Department.

Peter Hain: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has incurred no direct costs in connection with the Bloody Sunday inquiry.
	A few staff spend a small amount of time dealing with issues relating to the inquiry, but they absorb this task into their normal duties, so staff time costs are not separately calculated.

Foot and Mouth

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have to co-operate with the European Parliament's inquiry into the foot and mouth outbreak.

Peter Hain: The Government are ready to co-operate with the Temporary Committee that has been appointed by the European Parliament to inquire into the recent outbreaks of foot and mouth disease. We await news of how the committee intends to proceed.

Charter of Fundamental Rights

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which cases the Charter of Fundamental Rights has been cited in the European Court of Justice in the Advocate-General's opinion or the judges' decision.

Peter Hain: Providing the full list would incur disproportionate cost.
	We are aware of the following cases in the European Court of Justice where the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights has been referred to in the Advocate General's opinion or the judge's decision:
	The Opinion, delivered on 8 February 2001, of Advocate General Tizzano: Case C173/99: Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematographic and Theatre Union (BECTU) v. Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
	The Opinion, delivered on 22 March 2001, of Advocate General Jacobs: Case 270/99: Z v. European Parliament.
	The Opinion, delivered on 14 June 2001, of Advocate General Jacobs: Case C-377/98: Kingdom of the Netherlands v. European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
	The Opinion, delivered on 10 July 2001, of Advocate General Leger: Case C-353/99 P: Council of the European Union v. Heidi Hautala MEP.
	The Opinion, delivered on 20 September 2001, of Advocate General Mischo: Joined Cases C20/00 and C64/00: Booker Agriculture Ltd v. The Scottish Ministers and Hydro Seafood.

Charter of Fundamental Rights

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which member state Governments have stated that they (a) wish and (b) do not wish to see the Charter of Fundamental Rights incorporated into European Union law.

Peter Hain: The European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights was proclaimed as a political declaration at the Nice European Council in December 1999.
	At the same time Heads of State or Government agreed to a review of the Charter's status at the next intergovernmental conference in 2004 as to whether, and if so how, the Charter should be integrated into the treaties.
	A Convention on the Future of Europe, whose membership includes the representatives of the Heads of State or Government of the member states, and which will hold its inaugural meeting on 28 February 2002, has been convened to prepare the 2004 intergovernmental conference. One of the issues it will consider will be the charter's status.

European Union

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the accession process of the candidate countries for accession to the European Union under the Treaty of Nice; and what plans the Government have to ensure enlargement if the Republic of Ireland does not ratify the treaty.

Peter Hain: The Government believe that the Treaty of Nice is necessary to make enlargement a success. We understand that the Irish Government are considering how to address the concerns of the Irish people regarding the treaty. In the meantime, as agreed by all EU Governments, including the Irish Government, other member states are proceeding with their ratification processes. The Laeken European Council in December 2001 confirmed the EU's determination to complete negotiations with those candidates that are ready by the end of 2002 so that they can join the EU in time to participate in the 2004 European Parliament elections. The UK is fully committed to this goal.

European Council

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's objectives are for the European Council's meeting at Barcelona; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: At the European Council in Barcelona, Heads of Government will review progress on economic and social reform undertaken as a result of proposals agreed at the Lisbon and Stockholm European Councils. The Government are committed to this reform process, with its strategic aim of making the European Union the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world with full employment by 2010.
	The Government's objective for Barcelona is to take stock of progress made, and to focus member states' efforts on making concrete progress on the further reforms necessary. We would particularly like to see progress in the five areas identified by the Spanish presidency as priorities: transport and communication networks; energy; education and training; labour markets; and financial services. We support the Spanish approach and will be working closely with them throughout their presidency.

European Council

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in achieving the goals of economic and social reform set out at the European Council's meeting at Lisbon; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Economic Secretary to the Treasury gave to the right hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard) on 26 November 2001, Official Report, column 640W.
	The hon. Member may also be interested to read the recent Communication by the European Commission "The Lisbon Strategy—Making Change Happen". The Government welcome the Commission's Communication, which will feed into discussion at the European Council in Barcelona, 15–16 March. This document is available at www.europa.eu.int/comm/press_room/presspacks/ Barcelona/com_en.pdf.

Gibraltar

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in deciding the methods by which Gibraltarian voters will vote in European parliamentary elections; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: We are seeking legislative time in order to introduce primary legislation to extend the European parliamentary franchise to Gibraltar. The detail of the legislative and practical arrangements is currently being considered by both HMG and the Government of Gibraltar and consultations between us are already under way.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Clocks (Portcullis House)

John Austin: To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee how many clocks have been (a) ordered and (b) supplied for installation in Portcullis House; when the order was placed; when the installation is planned to take place; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Conway: holding answer 22 January 2002
	No clocks have been ordered or installed in Portcullis House.
	When Portcullis House was being planned no provision was made for a master and slave clock system or individual clocks to be provided because the time would be available on other equipment in the offices: the annunciator, telephones and personal computers.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

HIV

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funds her Department made available for educating children and young people in African nations on methods of HIV prevention in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001.

Hilary Benn: The information requested is not available as DFID activities in this area usually represent only part of wider projects and as such cannot be separately identified within our statistics.

Tanzania

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of Tanzania's debt has been written off as part of the enhanced HIPC initiative; and what assessment she has made of the effect on annual debt repayments of the purchase of an air traffic control system.

Hilary Benn: Under the enhanced HIPC initiative, 54 per cent. of Tanzania's debt in real terms was written off. This does not include the full value of Paris Club debt prior to the enhanced HIPC initiative or the additional bilateral relief beyond the enhanced HIPC initiative. Additional relief beyond the enhanced HIPC initiative will reduce Tanzania's debt by a further 9 per cent.
	It is difficult to assess the impact of individual projects on Tanzania's overall debt servicing obligations. However we recognise that debt management is a key part of maintaining longer-term debt sustainability. DFID is working closely with the World bank, International Monetary Fund, other development partners and the Government of Tanzania to ensure that such investments, and the resulting impact on annual debt repayments, are fully scrutinised as part of the public expenditure review and debt management processes.

GATS

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the effects of GATS—General Agreement on Trade in Services—on developing countries; and if she will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: It is not yet possible to make a full assessment as so few commitments have been made under the GATS. The Government support on-going assessment of trade in services, as do all WTO members. DFID is funding both the World bank and UNCTAD to help build capacity in developing countries to identify areas of interest to them.

Afghanistan

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what commitment the Government plan to make at the Tokyo conference on reconstruction in Afghanistan.

Hilary Benn: At the conference in Tokyo on Afghan reconstruction from 20 to 21 January, the UK announced a significant contribution of £200 million over the next five years for both reconstruction and humanitarian assistance. This pledge is in addition to the significant sums that DFID contributes to the World bank, European Union and Asian development banks who will also be channelling funds into Afghanistan over coming years. DFID's share of the European Union pledge alone will be 20 per cent.

Belize

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the relations between her Department and the Government of Belize.

Hilary Benn: We remain engaged in dialogue with the Government of Belize on a range of issues aimed at supporting and promoting a pro-poor Government agenda. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met with Prime Minister Musa in October 2001 as part of this engagement and DFID officials also continue to have regular contact.

PRIME MINISTER

PIU Energy Report

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Prime Minister if the finding of the PIU report on Energy will be made public; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Thomas) on 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 816W.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Civil Servants

Candy Atherton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which Government Departments are reviewing the mandatory retirement age for civil servants.

Christopher Leslie: All Departments have reviewed mandatory retirement age for their staff in the light of the "Winning the Generation Game" report from the Performance and Innovation Unit.

Civil Servants

Candy Atherton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the (a) time scale and (b) terms of reference for the review of the mandatory retirement age for senior civil servants in his Department.

Christopher Leslie: The normal retirement age for members of the senior civil service is 60. The main objective of the review currently being undertaken is to produce a model which will provide Departments with a range of options for managing their senior civil servants. These could include opportunities for moving to flexible working patterns as part of a phased retirement process, and mechanisms for retaining staff with strong potential beyond age 60, particularly those with key skills in such areas as project management. The time scale for implementation has not been finalised but will take account of the differing circumstances and staffing structures of Departments.

WALES

Regulatory Impact Assessments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many regulatory impact assessments have been produced by his Department since August 2001; and if he will list those produced (a) following initial consultation with affected parties about the most appropriate methodology for assessing costs and other impacts and (b) which set out full commercial impacts, including profitability, employment, consumer prices and competitiveness, as recommended in "Good Policy Making".

Paul Murphy: My Department has produced no regulatory impact assessments since August 2001.

Comprehensive Spending Review

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, by date and subject, the representations he has received in (a) writing and (b) person from (i) the First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales, (ii) the Welsh Assembly Government and (iii) committees of the National Assembly for Wales regarding the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.

Paul Murphy: I have regular meetings with the First Minister and periodic meetings with the Minister for Finance, Local Government and Communities. We discuss a range of matters, including the Spending Review.

Comprehensive Spending Review

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, by date and subject, representations he has made in (a) writing and (b) person to the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.

Paul Murphy: I am in regular contact with my Cabinet colleagues on the Spending Review.

Regional Regeneration

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what his estimate is of per capita Government public expenditure on regeneration in each of the Welsh regions in financial years (i) 2000–01 and (ii) 2001–02;
	(2)  if he will list the regeneration projects (a) wholly and (b) partly funded by the Government in the Cynon Valley for the financial years (i) 2000–01 and (ii) 2001–02 with the expenditure to date on each project.

Paul Murphy: The National Assembly for Wales has responsibility for the allocation and distribution of funds aimed at regenerating areas of Wales, including the Cynon Valley.

Environmental Appraisals

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans his Department has to appraise the environmental implications of its Spending Review submission to the Treasury.

Paul Murphy: The existence of the Barnett formula means that I am not required to make a full Spending Review submission.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what equipment has been stolen from his Department since 1 May 1997; and what the approximate value of each item was.

John Reid: The information is as follows:
	Two portable computers, a printer and a camcorder to the value of £8,000.
	In addition, computer components were reported stolen from official premises. These components were old and of negligible value.

Lost/Stolen Property

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those items valued at more than £50 which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years.

John Reid: On 4 December 1998, a portable computer, valued at £3,000 was reported stolen from an officer's home.
	On 7 May 1999, a portable computer and printer valued at £4,500 were reported stolen from official premises.
	On 26 May 1999, a camcorder, valued at £500, was reported stolen from departmental offices.

Ministerial Transport

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last used the railway service in connection with his official duties; what station he left from and what was the destination; and whether it is his intention to make greater use of the railways in future.

John Reid: I last used the railway service on official duties in late November 2001.
	Details of the travel arrangements of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland are by convention not published.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Literacy and Numeracy Test Results

Ann Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement about her Department's inquiry into the premature disclosure of the literacy and numeracy test results in September 2001.

Stephen Timms: An inquiry into the premature disclosure of the literacy and numeracy test results has been carried out by the Department's security officer, in conjunction with the Department's head of statistics and a representative of the National Statistician.
	The inquiry has been unable to establish the source or nature of the leak of the 2001 Key Stage 2 test results. The main reasons for this are:
	(a) There appears to have been no leak of a paper or document; the Evening Standard article on 14 September seems to have been based on one or more casual conversations from which the story was constructed; and
	(b) Given the significant number of people in the Department for Education and Skills, Ofsted, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, the associated contractors and those elsewhere who had access to the information, there is no prospect of identifying the person who provided the relevant information, unless the journalist concerned is prepared to reveal his source or sources.
	The inquiry concludes that there is no evidence of a deliberate disclosure from Ministers, officials or advisers in the Department. Indeed, on the limited evidence available, the disclosure seems unlikely to have come from any departmental source.
	The inquiry makes a number of recommendations for strengthening the control and management of sensitive information in advance of the advertised day of its disclosure. These are being taken forward.

Temporary Classrooms

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of temporary classrooms in each English local education authority.

John Healey: As part of the data collected through the appraisal of Asset Management Plans, the Department has some information on the overall floor area of temporary accommodation at schools, but it is not possible from these data to identify with any precision the actual number of temporary classrooms.
	The data we have on temporary buildings will be appraised with a view to publishing analysis to support benchmarking later this year.

Temporary Classrooms

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many private finance initiatives there have been which have involved replacing temporary classrooms with permanent buildings; if she will list each of these; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: This information is not held centrally, and there would be a disproportionate cost involved in obtaining it from local education authorities and voluntary aided schools.

Scotland

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of the staff members of her Department located in London have been involved in matters pertaining to Scotland since the inception of her Department in its present form.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 22 January 2002
	This Department is broadly responsible for matters pertaining to England, with some responsibilities for Wales, and for representing UK education and skills policy to audiences outside the UK. Officials of this Department liaise with their counterparts in the Scottish Executive on matters of mutual interest. Details of the number of staff located in London who have been involved in matters pertaining to Scotland could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Hackney Borough Council

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what intervention powers her Department has used in respect of Hackney borough council since May 1997.

Stephen Timms: In July 1999 the Secretary of State directed the council to outsource its school improvement service and ethnic minority service to Nord Anglia plc under powers set out in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.
	In October 2001 the Secretary of State directed the council to implement arrangements to establish a new body to run the education services in Hackney from August 2002 under powers set out in the Local Government Act 1999.

Remuneration

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will estimate the number of individuals in her (a) Department, (b) related agencies and (c) related non-departmental public bodies whose annual remuneration including benefits in kind exceeded (i) £100,000 and (ii) £200,000 in each of the last four years.

Ivan Lewis: The number of people in DfES, (and before June 2001 in DfEE) and related agencies whose annual remuneration including benefits exceeded (a) £100,000 and (b) £200,000 in each of the last four years is as follows:
	
		
			 Year Over £100,000 Over £200,000 
		
		
			 1998 3 0 
			 1999 3 0 
			 2000 6 0 
			 2001 7 0 
		
	
	Information relating to staff for non-departmental public bodies is available in the annual Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies 2000" copies are available in the Library.

School Expulsions

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children from (a) primary and (b) secondary schools were expelled from their school in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: Information on how many children have been excluded from primary and secondary schools since 1997 are set out in the National Statistics publication "Permanent Exclusions from Maintained Schools in England, Issue 10/01", published in November 2001. Information from this publication can be viewed at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics/DB/SBU/b0298/ index.html. Figures for 2000–01 are not yet available.
	
		Number of permanent exclusions
		
			 Year  Primary schools Secondary schools 
		
		
			 1996–97 1,573 10,463 
			 1997–98 1,539 10,087 
			 1998–99 1,366 8,636 
			 1999–2000 1,226 6,713

School Expulsions

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of children expelled from school were (a) boys and (b) girls in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the proportion of permanent exclusions from maintained schools since 1997 are set out in the National Statistics publication "Permanent Exclusions from Maintained Schools in England, Issue 10–01", published in November 2001. Information from this publication can be viewed at http:// www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics/DB/SBU/b0298/index.html. Figures for 2000–01 are not yet available.
	
		Percentage of permanent exclusions
		
			   1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 
		
		
			 Boys 83 84 83 84 
			 Girls 17 16 17 16

School Expulsions

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what process is to be followed if a child is to be expelled from school.

Ivan Lewis: The law governing exclusions is set out in sections 64 to 68 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The DfES guidance on the procedures for excluding pupils is set out in Circular 10/99, Chapter 6, Annexe D. Head teachers, governors, LEAs and appeal panels must have regard to this guidance in discharging their functions in relation to pupil exclusion. I have attached a copy of Circular 10/99 to this reply and will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library shortly.

School Expulsions

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the most common reason was for expulsion for (a) boys and (b) girls in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 17 January 2002
	The Department does not collect data on the specific reasons for expulsion from schools.

Pupil:Teacher Ratio

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the pupil:teacher ratio was in maintained secondary schools in each education authority in each year since 1979.

Stephen Timms: The table provides information for 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994 and each year from 1996 to 2001.
	
		Pupil:Teacher ratio in maintained secondary schools by local education authority area, position in January each year
		
			   2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1994 1989 1984 1979 
		
		
			 Avon(7) — — — — — 16.3 16.2 16.1 16.4 17.0 
			 Barking and Dagenham 16.8 16.3 16.0 15.8 15.7 16.1 17.1 14.1 15.8 15.5 
			 Barnet 15.9 15.4 15.3 15.2 14.8 14.8 15.0 14.6 14.3 15.4 
			 Barnsley 18.1 18.3 18.0 18.1 17.8 17.9 17.1 15.5 16.3 16.8 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 16.9 16.8 16.6 16.9 16.6 — — — — — 
			 Bedfordshire(7) — — — — 17.8 17.8 17.2 16.6 17.5 17.1 
			 Bedfordshire(8) 18.8 18.7 18.5 18.3 — — — — — — 
			 Berkshire(7) — — — 16.5 16.6 16.3 16.0 15.5 16.2 16.8 
			 Bexley 17.8 17.6 17.2 17.4 17.4 16.6 16.5 16.2 16.7 17.2 
			 Birmingham 16.2 16.1 16.2 16.1 16.1 15.9 16.3 16.4 16.4 16.5 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 16.2 16.5 16.6 — — — — — — — 
			 Blackpool 17.3 17.3 17.6 — — — — — — — 
			 Bolton 16.6 16.7 16.7 16.8 16.8 16.5 16.1 14.6 16.0 16.5 
			 Bournemouth 17.6 18.2 17.5 17.7 — — — — — — 
			 Bracknell Forest 17.0 16.9 17.3 — — — — — — — 
			 Bradford 17.1 17.3 18.6 18.5 18.1 17.7 17.3 14.6 17.4 17.6 
			 Brent 16.0 15.8 15.0 15.0 15.2 15.4 15.9 13.7 12.8 13.9 
			 Brighton and Hove 16.5 16.5 16.4 — — — — — — — 
			 Bristol, City of 15.7 15.7 16.0 16.1 15.6 — — — — — 
			 Bromley 17.1 17.2 16.6 16.4 16.3 15.7 16.2 15.6 16.2 16.7 
			 Buckinghamshire(7) — — — — 17.3 17.1 16.8 16.1 16.5 16.8 
			 Buckinghamshire(8) 18.3 18.4 18.1 17.6 — — — — — — 
			 Bury 17.6 17.7 17.7 17.6 17.2 17.2 17.1 14.4 15.6 16.5 
			 Calderdale 17.1 17.1 16.5 16.6 16.9 16.9 16.3 15.1 17.1 17.6 
			 Cambridgeshire(7) — — — 17.5 17.4 17.2 17.1 15.9 16.8 16.5 
			 Cambridgeshire(8) 18.7 18.7 18.1 — — — — — — — 
			 Camden 15.3 15.6 15.2 14.6 14.3 14.9 15.3 — — — 
			 Cheshire(7) — — — 17.2 17.0 17.0 16.8 15.8 16.9 16.9 
			 Cheshire(8) 16.9 17.1 17.1 — — — — — — — 
			 City of London(9) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Cleveland — — — — — 16.8 17.0 14.8 16.2 17.6 
			 Cornwall 18.0 18.3 18.1 17.8 17.4 17.5 17.3 16.2 16.9 16.8 
			 Coventry 17.0 17.1 16.8 16.9 16.6 16.1 15.8 13.9 15.9 16.0 
			 Croydon 17.3 16.9 16.4 16.4 16.2 16.3 16.9 15.3 15.7 16.3 
			 Cumbria 16.8 17.0 16.7 16.9 16.9 16.9 16.0 15.0 15.9 16.5 
			 Darlington 16.9 17.4 17.2 17.7 — — — — — — 
			 Derby 17.1 16.9 16.9 16.8 — — — — — — 
			 Derbyshire(7) — — — — 17.4 17.0 15.7 14.1 16.9 17.5 
			 Derbyshire(8) 17.5 17.8 17.8 17.7 — — — — — — 
			 Devon(7) — — — 17.3 17.1 17.0 16.4 16.4 16.9 17.9 
			 Devon(8) 17.7 17.8 17.5 — — — — — — — 
			 Doncaster 17.2 17.3 16.9 16.9 16.6 16.8 16.3 15.2 16.2 16.6 
			 Dorset(7) — — — — 17.7 17.5 17.2 16.2 17.1 17.5 
			 Dorset(8) 18.5 18.4 18.0 18.1 — — — — — — 
			 Dudley 16.8 16.4 16.4 16.5 16.5 16.5 16.7 13.8 16.1 17.7 
			 Durham(7) — — — — 17.4 17.5 16.6 15.9 16.8 16.8 
			 Durham(8) 17.2 17.4 17.3 17.4 — — — — — — 
			 Ealing 17.6 17.1 16.7 16.9 16.4 16.5 16.3 13.4 14.9 15.6 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 17.9 17.9 18.0 17.5 17.0 — — — — — 
			 East Sussex(7) — — — — 16.2 16.0 16.1 15.7 17.1 17.1 
			 East Sussex(8) 17.1 17.1 16.9 16.6 — — — — — — 
			 Enfield 16.3 16.3 15.9 15.8 15.9 16.3 16.6 15.3 15.4 16.8 
			 Essex(7) — — — 16.7 16.6 16.7 17.1 16.3 17.1 17.7 
			 Essex(8) 17.5 17.2 16.8 — — — — — — — 
			 Gateshead 16.2 17.1 16.7 16.3 16.0 15.9 15.7 14.1 16.1 16.5 
			 Gloucestershire 17.2 17.4 17.4 17.2 17.3 17.6 17.7 15.8 17.0 17.4 
			 Greenwich 16.0 16.6 16.3 16.3 16.0 15.6 16.4 — — — 
			 Hackney 17.1 15.5 15.7 14.5 14.9 14.7 14.6 — — — 
			 Halton 16.3 16.6 16.5 — — — — — — — 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 17.5 18.1 17.5 17.5 17.4 16.8 15.2 — — — 
			 Hampshire(7) — — — — 16.6 16.6 16.4 15.8 17.1 16.7 
			 Hampshire(8) 17.6 17.4 17.1 16.8 — — — — — — 
			 Haringey 15.8 15.4 15.4 14.7 14.6 14.6 13.9 12.8 13.5 16.0 
			 Harrow 17.0 16.8 15.9 15.9 15.5 15.6 15.7 15.3 14.1 14.9 
			 Hartlepool 17.5 17.9 17.8 18.0 17.1 — — — — — 
			 Havering 17.2 16.6 16.6 16.4 16.3 16.2 16.5 15.2 15.7 17.0 
			 Hereford and Worcester(7) — — — 18.0 17.8 17.7 17.3 16.6 17.5 17.6 
			 Herefordshire(8) 17.1 17.0 17.5 — — — — — — — 
			 Hertfordshire 16.7 16.6 16.3 16.1 15.9 15.7 15.7 15.1 16.1 15.9 
			 Hillingdon 17.0 16.4 16.3 15.8 16.2 16.4 16.4 15.4 15.7 16.5 
			 Hounslow 16.9 17.2 16.5 16.2 15.8 15.8 16.2 14.4 15.0 15.9 
			 Humberside(7) — — — — — 17.2 17.5 15.5 16.2 16.7 
			 Inner London Education Authority(8) — — — — — — — 14.4 13.3 14.9 
			 Isle of Wight 17.8 18.1 18.1 18.5 18.2 18.1 17.6 16.4 18.0 18.6 
			 Isles of Scilly 10.0 8.8 8.8 8.4 9.3 8.1 8.8 7.8 11.7 11.3 
			 Islington 15.9 15.9 16.0 16.0 15.7 15.7 15.4 — — — 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 15.2 14.0 14.3 13.4 12.9 13.3 12.5 — — — 
			 Kent(7) — — — 16.7 16.3 16.4 16.7 16.2 17.1 17.7 
			 Kent(8) 17.4 17.3 16.8 — — — — — — — 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 18.7 18.9 18.6 18.6 18.2 — — — — — 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 16.9 17.1 16.7 16.4 16.6 16.2 16.0 13.8 16.2 16.1 
			 Kirklees 17.2 17.4 17.4 17.5 17.4 16.8 15.8 14.7 17.1 17.7 
			 Knowsley 16.2 16.5 16.6 17.0 16.6 16.6 16.9 13.7 15.3 16.3 
			 Lambeth 15.4 15.2 15.5 14.7 15.0 14.4 14.8 — — — 
			 Lancashire(7) — — — 16.7 16.7 17.0 16.1 15.4 16.4 16.5 
			 Lancashire(8) 16.9 17.0 16.8 — — — — — — — 
			 Leeds 16.8 17.0 16.9 16.8 16.9 16.6 16.0 14.7 16.4 17.8 
			 Leicester 16.7 16.4 16.3 16.8 — — — — — — 
			 Leicestershire(7) — — — — 17.2 17.1 16.4 14.7 16.0 16.2 
			 Leicestershire(8) 17.8 17.9 17.6 17.4 — — — — — — 
			 Lewisham 15.8 15.6 15.7 15.6 15.2 15.2 16.2 — — — 
			 Lincolnshire 17.2 17.1 16.6 16.2 15.9 15.9 15.8 16.2 17.0 17.0 
			 Liverpool 16.2 16.7 16.8 16.7 16.7 16.2 15.9 14.1 16.3 16.1 
			 Luton 17.9 17.3 16.9 16.7 — — — — — — 
			 Manchester 16.0 16.0 16.1 16.1 15.9 15.5 15.7 13.4 14.8 14.9 
			 Medway 17.3 17.4 17.1 — — — — — — — 
			 Merton 18.0 17.8 17.6 17.0 17.2 17.2 16.1 15.7 17.5 17.6 
			 Middlesbrough 16.2 16.4 16.5 16.4 16.2 — — — — — 
			 Milton Keynes 17.3 17.1 16.7 17.1 — — — — — — 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 16.6 17.0 17.0 17.1 16.8 16.9 16.5 14.3 14.2 14.7 
			 Newham 15.8 16.6 16.4 16.3 16.3 16.5 17.1 13.6 14.1 16.1 
			 Norfolk 16.9 16.6 16.2 16.1 15.7 15.6 15.7 15.4 16.6 17.6 
			 North East Lincolnshire 18.8 18.5 18.2 19.1 17.9 — — — — — 
			 North Lincolnshire 18.2 18.7 18.2 18.1 17.5 — — — — — 
			 North Somerset 17.6 17.3 17.0 17.1 16.0 — — — — — 
			 North Tyneside 16.5 16.8 17.2 17.5 17.2 17.1 17.0 13.8 14.5 16.0 
			 North Yorkshire(7) — — — — — 16.3 16.0 15.5 16.4 17.0 
			 North Yorkshire(8) 16.6 16.6 16.7 16.6 16.4 — — — — — 
			 Northamptonshire 17.4 17.5 17.4 17.2 16.8 17.0 16.6 15.9 16.5 17.0 
			 Northumberland 18.6 19.0 19.0 19.2 18.6 18.5 18.1 16.2 17.3 17.5 
			 Nottingham 16.1 16.7 16.1 — — — — — — — 
			 Nottinghamshire(7) — — — 17.4 17.3 16.7 15.8 14.6 15.8 16.8 
			 Nottinghamshire(8) 17.5 17.9 17.8 — — — — — — — 
			 Oldham 15.7 15.9 16.0 16.1 16.0 15.9 15.6 14.9 17.0 17.6 
			 Oxfordshire 17.8 18.1 18.3 18.0 18.1 17.9 16.8 16.1 17.2 17.9 
			 Peterborough 17.2 17.1 16.7 — — — — — — — 
			 Plymouth 17.1 17.5 —7.5 — — — — — — — 
			 Poole 16.8 17.1 16.9 16.2 — — — — — — 
			 Portsmouth 17.9 17.8 17.8 17.1 — — — — — — 
			 Reading 16.0 16.2 16.1 — — — — — — — 
			 Redbridge 16.7 16.8 16.7 16.7 16.5 16.2 16.6 15.4 16.0 17.1 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 16.5 17.2 17.5 17.4 17.2 — — — — — 
			 Richmond upon Thames 18.4 17.9 16.2 16.6 17.0 16.5 16.9 15.6 16.3 17.0 
			 Rochdale 17.1 17.2 16.9 16.9 16.7 16.9 16.9 14.0 15.0 15.4 
			 Rotherham 16.6 17.1 17.2 17.4 17.2 17.0 15.8 14.8 16.7 17.2 
			 Rutland 17.1 17.0 16.8 17.2 — — — — — — 
			 Salford 16.3 16.8 16.7 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 13.3 15.5 15.8 
			 Sandwell 16.7 16.6 16.5 16.6 16.8 16.5 15.9 13.7 15.4 15.8 
			 Sefton 16.3 16.7 16.7 16.4 16.3 16.4 16.4 16.0 16.4 17.2 
			 Sheffield 17.3 17.6 17.6 17.7 17.3 17.5 16.5 14.8 15.6 16.4 
			 Shropshire 17.3 17.0 16.8 16.6 16.5 16.5 16.1 15.1 16.2 16.8 
			 Slough 16.5 16.4 16.6 — — — — — — — 
			 Solihull 17.7 17.9 17.5 17.4 16.8 16.6 16.4 15.4 16.8 16.1 
			 Somerset 18.5 18.6 18.4 18.1 18.0 18.0 16.6 15.8 17.6 18.5 
			 South Gloucestershire 16.7 17.0 17.0 16.9 16.7 — — — — — 
			 South Tyneside 17.7 17.3 17.4 17.5 16.9 16.8 17.0 14.0 14.9 16.0 
			 Southampton 16.3 16.7 16.5 16.2 — — — — — — 
			 Southend-on-Sea 16.8 16.9 16.4 — — — — — — — 
			 Southwark 16.4 16.2 15.8 15.9 15.8 16.2 17.0 — — — 
			 St. Helens 16.1 16.1 15.9 16.0 15.6 15.6 15.3 13.5 15.6 16.2 
			 Staffordshire(7) — — — — 17.7 17.6 17.5 15.9 16.3 16.7 
			 Staffordshire(8) 17.6 17.9 17.9 18.1 — — — — — — 
			 Stockport 16.7 17.2 17.5 17.3 16.9 16.6 16.4 14.7 16.4 17.3 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 17.3 17.2 17.5 17.3 17.1 — — — — — 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 17.4 17.6 17.5 17.8 — — — — — — 
			 Suffolk 17.1 16.9 16.6 16.5 16.6 16.5 16.2 16.6 16.9 18.1 
			 Sunderland 16.1 16.4 16.5 16.5 16.3 16.1 16.1 14.5 16.2 16.7 
			 Surrey 17.6 17.3 17.1 16.9 16.9 16.6 16.8 15.2 16.4 16.2 
			 Sutton 17.6 17.6 17.0 17.0 16.8 16.6 16.9 16.0 17.1 17.3 
			 Swindon 17.2 17.8 18.0 17.7 — — — — — — 
			 Tameside 17.5 17.4 17.6 17.6 17.8 17.8 17.4 15.3 15.9 16.5 
			 Telford and Wrekin 16.8 17.0 16.7 — — — — — — — 
			 Thurrock 18.9 18.5 18.0 — — — — — — — 
			 Torbay 17.0 17.0 17.0 — — — — — — — 
			 Tower Hamlets 16.1 16.3 16.0 15.8 15.9 15.2 14.2 — — — 
			 Trafford 16.7 16.9 16.3 16.4 16.7 16.6 16.2 14.5 16.6 16.5 
			 Wakefield 18.1 18.4 18.1 17.4 16.9 16.4 16.3 15.1 17.3 18.0 
			 Walsall 16.7 16.6 16.6 16.5 16.3 16.2 15.8 13.6 14.9 15.8 
			 Waltham Forest 15.8 16.0 15.7 15.6 15.6 15.8 15.9 12.5 13.7 14.7 
			 Wandsworth 15.8 16.1 16.1 15.7 15.5 15.9 14.7 — — — 
			 Warrington 17.0 17.4 17.3 — — — — — — — 
			 Warwickshire 17.2 17.2 17.2 17.4 17.4 16.8 16.1 15.7 17.1 16.9 
			 West Berkshire 16.6 16.5 16.4 — — — — — — — 
			 West Sussex 17.0 17.2 16.9 16.9 16.8 16.6 16.5 16.1 17.0 18.1 
			 Westminster 15.0 15.1 15.0 15.2 14.9 15.2 15.5 — — — 
			 Wigan 16.5 16.5 16.5 16.3 16.0 16.0 15.8 13.5 15.3 15.8 
			 Wiltshire(7) — — — — 17.0 16.8 16.7 15.6 17.0 17.7 
			 Wiltshire(8) 17.5 17.9 17.7 17.2 — — — — — — 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 17.5 17.3 17.0 — — — — — — — 
			 Wirral 16.1 16.5 16.4 16.4 16.2 16.2 16.3 15.4 16.1 17.1 
			 Wokingham 16.6 16.9 17.1 — — — — — — — 
			 Wolverhampton 16.4 16.6 16.4 16.1 15.9 16.1 15.4 13.6 14.8 15.6 
			 Worcestershire 18.3 18.5 18.3 — — — — — — — 
			 York 16.6 16.9 16.7 16.2 16.3 — — — — — 
			 ENGLAND 17.1 17.2 17.0 16.9 16.7 16.6 16.4 15.3 16.2 16.7 
		
	
	(7) Before local government reorganisation
	(8) After local government reorganisation
	(9) No schools of this type
	Information cannot be provided for all the years requested in the time available.

PFI

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the costs and benefits of using private finance initiatives to improve and upgrade the school buildings in each local education authority in England; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: holding answer 23 January 2002
	Local education authorities (LEAs) are responsible for the local strategic management of the school estate. This responsibility includes the need to ensure best value when making investment decisions. When considering major investment in school buildings, one of the options that authorities should consider is the private finance initiative. Where an LEA decides, following an options appraisal, that it wishes to pursue the use of PFI, it will submit an outline proposal to my Department. If, following evaluation against published criteria, provisional support is received to develop an outline business case, the authority must demonstrate that PFI represents a better value for money solution than a conventionally procured alternative.

PFI

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many local education authorities have put in place private finance initiative capital projects since May 1997; if she will list each such local education authority and the size of each capital project; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: holding answer 23 January 2002
	I refer the hon. Gentleman to the list of current projects, regularly published by my Department, via the Teachernet website at www.teachernet.gov.uk/ schoolsprivatefinanceinitiative. This provides details of the numbers and PFI credit allocations for private finance initiative capital projects undertaken by local education authorities.

PFI Contracts

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her policy is on encouraging local education authorities to use PFI contracts to upgrade school buildings; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: holding answer 23 January 2002
	The use of PFI contracts to upgrade school buildings is one of a number of funding options available to local education authorities. If an authority wishes to develop a PFI project, it must first make preliminary proposals to the Department, which are assessed against published criteria. Although the Department currently allocates each year around £850 million PFI credits, we are not able to support all of the proposals put forward. The proposals which best match the published criteria receive provisional support at this stage.
	Projects are not formally approved until a full Outline Business Case (OBC) has been submitted to the Treasury-chaired Project Review Group. This OBC must include a public sector comparator (PSC). It is a condition of approval that the proposed PFI solution must demonstrate better value for money than the PSC, as well as satisfy various other criteria necessary to demonstrate the viability of the project.

Selection

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many specialist schools are exercising the provision in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 to select up to 10 per cent. of pupils by aptitude in relevant subjects; if she will list such schools; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 23 January 2002
	On the basis of the latest collated information, 25 specialist schools are selecting a proportion of their pupils by aptitude in the relevant subjects. Details are given in the following table. Most of these schools were selecting by aptitude prior to the 1998 Act.
	
		Specialist schools—selection by aptitude
		
			  School  LEA  Specialism  School's status Percentage of pupils selected on aptitude 
		
		
			 Archbishop Blanch School Liverpool Technology Voluntary Aided 5.6 
			 Archbishop Temple School Lancashire Technology Voluntary Aided 10.0 
			 Bohunt School Hampshire Language Foundation 10.0 
			 Brentwood Ursuline Convent School Essex Arts Voluntary Aided 10.0 
			 Chaucer Technical School Kent Technology Foundation (10)100.0 
			 Chestnut Grove School Wandsworth Arts Community 16.0 
			 Cornwallis School Kent Technology Foundation 10.0 
			 Deacon's School Peterborough, City Technology Foundation 15.0 
			 George Spencer GM School Nottinghamshire Technology Foundation 10.0 
			 Heathside School Surrey Technology Foundation 4.0 
			 Hockerill Anglo European School Hertfordshire Language Foundation 10.0 
			 Intake High School Leeds Arts Community 10.0 
			 Lodge Park School Northamptonshire Technology Foundation 10.0 
			 Lynn Grove VA High School Norfolk Technology Voluntary Aided 15.0 
			 Mill Hill County High School Barnet, LB of Technology Foundation 10.0 
			 Ninestiles School Birmingham Technology Foundation 10.0 
			 Oakbank School Bradford Sports Foundation 10.0 
			 Oldfield School Bath and NE Somerset Sports Foundation 10.0 
			 Philip Morant School Essex Technology Foundation 15.0 
			 Sandwich Technology School Kent Technology Foundation 10.0 
			 Small Heath School Birmingham Technology Foundation 10.0 
			 St. Margaret's C of E High School Liverpool Technology Voluntary Aided 15.0 
			 St. Martin's School Essex Technology Foundation 10.0 
			 St. Marylebone School (The) Westminster Arts Voluntary Aided 10.0 
			 Wye Valley School (The) Buckinghamshire Sports Community 10.0 
		
	
	(10) Up to
	Notes:
	1. This information was taken from progress reports submitted by 403 schools in December 2000. Progress reports for schools operational as of September 2000 have been received but the information from these has not yet been collated.
	2. The 1998 School Standards and Framework Act provides for schools with a specialism to select up to 10 per cent. of their intake on the basis of aptitude for a specialist subject prescribed in regulations. Prior to the 1998 Act schools had greater discretion over aptitude selection and this accounts for the percentages above 10 per cent.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assistance the Technology Colleges Trust is giving to schools seeking specialist status; how many grants have been facilitated by the trust in order to help schools to meet the £50,000 threshold of specialist status since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 23 January 2002
	The Technology Colleges Trust is an independent charitable trust grant-aided by the Department to advise schools in drawing up applications, and through its work in promoting the Specialist Schools Programme attracts sponsorship to support individual school's applications. Detailed information on grants facilitated by the Technology Colleges Trust is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, we do have an analysis of applications for Arts, Technology and Language status in June and October 1999, and March 2000, which shows that of the 238 applications submitted 88 applicants included sponsorship facilitated through the Technology Colleges Trust.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what further research she has commissioned in order to evaluate the effects on school performance of specialist school status; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 23 January 2002
	For Excellence in Cities (EiC) areas there is an element of work about specialist schools within the research about the impact of EiC policies being carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research. Research on the impact of specialist schools was commissioned by the then DfEE from Leeds university and the London school of economics and was published in 2000. Last October Ofsted published a report on the progress of specialist schools. Professor David Jesson will shortly be preparing an analysis of educational outcomes of specialist schools in 2001 on behalf of the Technology Colleges Trust and I expect this to be published in the spring.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Public Bodies

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the members she has appointed to public bodies in the last 12 months.

Tessa Jowell: In the last 12 months, my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) and I made 121 public appointments and reappointments to public bodies as detailed. This does not include appointments to bodies sponsored by my Department where my role is to advise on appointments made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister or, through him, by Her Majesty the Queen.
	Advisory Committee on the Government Art Collection
	Dr. Richard Dorment
	Advisory Committee on Historic Wrecks Sites
	Dr. Mark Redknap
	Alcohol Education and Research Council
	Professor Ilana Crome
	Peter Harraway
	Angela Gaye Pedlow
	John Bennett
	Robin Davidson
	Henry Fairweather
	William Rae
	Elizabeth Thom
	Richard Velleman
	Arts Council of England
	Gerry Robinson
	Deborah Bull CBE
	Hilary Strong
	Anish Kapoor
	Joanne MacGregor
	British Library
	Lord Eatwell
	Ian Millar
	John Ritblat
	Simon Olswang
	Broadcasting Standards Commission
	Lord Dubs
	Lady Warner
	David Boulton
	Strachan Heppell CB
	Sally O'Sullivan
	Kathleen Worrall
	CABE
	Sophie Andreae
	The Community Fund
	Richard Martineau
	Elaine Appelbee
	Paul Cavanagh
	Lorne MacLeod
	James Strachan
	Jeff Carroll
	English Heritage
	Andrew Fane
	Professor David Cannadine
	Jane Grenville
	Leslie Sparks OBE
	Professor Lola Young OBE
	Film Council
	Tim Bevan
	Sarah Radcyffe
	James Lee
	Professor John Hill
	Ian Smith
	Football Licensing Authority
	Clive Sherling
	Kenneth Culley
	Dr. Judith Fisher
	Trevor Hobday
	Professor Jan Wright
	Gaming Board for Great Britain
	Peter Dean CBE
	Roy Penrose OBE, QPM
	Historic Royal Palaces
	General Sir Roger Wheeler
	Angela Heylin OBE
	Jane Sharman OBE
	Dr. Simon Jones LVO
	Horserace Betting Levy Appeals Tribunal for England and Wales
	Brian Waters
	Horserace Betting Levy Board
	Robert Hughes CBE
	Horserace Totalisator
	Lord Lipsey
	Horniman Museum
	Professor Kenneth Gregory
	Independent Television Commission
	Sir Robin Biggam
	Baroness Janet Whitaker
	Alistair Balls CB
	Sir Michael Checkland
	Chitra Bharucha
	Dr. Michael Shea CVO
	Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester
	Professor Laurie Wood
	National Lottery Commission
	Harriet Spicer
	Timothy Hornsby
	National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside
	Christopher Green
	Professor Gordon McGregor Reid
	Gillian Reynolds
	Professor John Tarn
	Earl of Derby
	Viscountess Mersey
	NESTA
	Lord David Puttnam CBE
	Dr. Yvonne Barnett
	Professor Sir Chris Evans OBE
	Dame Bridget Ogilvie
	Yasmin Anwar
	Graham Ross Russell
	Francois Matarasso
	Baroness Genista McIntosh
	Paul Daniel
	Professor Janice Kirkpatrick
	New Opportunity Fund
	Baroness Pitkeathley
	Professor Eric James Bolton CB
	Barbara Stephens
	David Carrington
	Professor John Patmore CBE
	Dugald Mackie
	Sian Griffiths
	Polly Hudson
	Geoffrey Thompson MBE
	Jill Barrow
	Breidge Gadd CBE
	David Campbell
	Public Lending Right Advisory Committee
	Dr. James Parker
	Public Lending Right Registrar
	Dr. James Parker
	Radio Authority
	Thomas Prag
	Geraint Talfan Davies
	Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art
	Sir John Guinness CB
	Johnny Van Haeften
	Royal Armouries
	Ann Green
	S4C
	Christopher Llewellyn
	Eira Davies
	Sport England
	Tessa Sanderson OBE
	Brigid Simmonds
	Treasure Valuation Committee
	Professor Norman Palmer
	Thomas Curtis
	Mary Sinclair
	Dr. Arthur MacGregor
	Dr. Jack Ogden
	Theatres Trust
	Sir John Drummond CBE
	Sir Stephen Waley-Cohen
	John Muir
	Martyn Heighton
	UK Sport
	Sir Rodney Walker
	Tanni Grey-Thompson OBE
	Zahara Hyde Peters
	Adrian Metcalfe OBE
	Gavin Stewart
	Yorkshire and Humber Regional Cultural Consortium
	Clive Leach CBE.

ITC/BBC Appointments

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many names were on the shortlist she received from the panel from which she had to propose a deputy-chairman of the ITC; if she will make a statement on the process by which she chose a name to propose following her receipt of the shortlist; and if she took into account the political views of the people on the shortlist received from the panel;
	(2)  how many names were on the shortlist she received from the panel from which she had to propose a vice-chairman of the BBC; if she will make a statement on the process by which she chose a name to propose following her receipt of the shortlist; and if she took into account the political views of the people on the shortlist received from the panel.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 22 January 2002
	Both the process for the appointment of the BBC Vice-Chair and the process for the appointment of the ITC Deputy-Chair complied with the guidance issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. This provides that all public appointments should be governed by the overriding principle of selection based on merit and that political activity is not a criterion for appointment. In the interests of confidentiality, it is not our policy to release information about individual shortlists.

Horse Racing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if it is her policy to ensure that the racing industry is not financially disadvantaged by the end of the current levy scheme for racing;
	(2)  if it is her policy that the determination of the future of a racing levy scheme will establish a long term commercial relationship between racing and the betting industry.

Richard Caborn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham (Ian Lucas) on 21 January 2002, Official Report, columns 625–26W.

Redgrave-Pinsent Lake

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the projected completion date is for the Redgrave-Pinsent lake at Caversham; and when the athletes will be able to use the training water at the lake.

Richard Caborn: The 2,200 metre rowing course at Caversham is expected to be completed in time for Amateur Rowing Association (ARA) training in autumn 2003.
	Sport England has offered the ARA the opportunity to train on approximately 1,000 metres of the lake in the winter 2002, during construction.

National Lottery

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what targets she intends to set to reduce underspend of National Lottery proceeds.

Richard Caborn: Around 92 per cent. of the National Lottery Distribution Fund balance is already committed to projects, and money is drawn down from the fund when it is needed and not before. The Department is working closely with the distributing bodies to reduce the distribution fund balance, so that more projects will benefit more quickly from the money the lottery raises for good causes. Distributors are collectively expecting a decline in the balance to £1.6 billion by March 2004.

Football

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what agreement she has reached with the Football Association on the appointment of new directors to WNSL.

Richard Caborn: The Football Association and Sport England announced on 15 January 2002 that they are to reconstitute and restructure the board of WNSL. This is in line with the way forward identified in the interim report of Patrick Carter's review of the English National Stadium (HC479).

Tourism

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she intends to restore a marketing role to the English Tourism Council.

Kim Howells: Tomorrow's Tourism did not give English Tourism Council a role to market England. However, in the light of events last year and consultations my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had with senior industry representatives, we are reviewing the options for stimulating better co-ordination of the public and private sector funds currently spent on marketing tourism in England.

Public Service Broadcasting

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list (a) broadcasting companies and (b) other organisations to which her Department has recently written consulting about the definition of public service broadcasting; and if she will place a copy of the consultation letter in the Library.

Kim Howells: My officials had informal discussions with ITV Network Ltd., SMG Television, Granada Media Group, Carlton Television, Channel 4 Television Corporation and Channel 5 Broadcasting Ltd., as the leading commercially funded public service broadcasting organisations and companies, about implementation of the proposals on self regulation and backstop powers set out in Chapter 5 of a New Future for Communications. I shall develop my proposals on these matters, to be published in the forthcoming draft Communications Bill, in the light of these and other discussions. I am arranging for copies of the letters to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses in advance of these discussions.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Support Agency

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 180W, if he will place the Action Plan referred to in the Library.

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to my hon. Friend.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Mark Todd, dated 23 January 2002
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply.
	Mr. Smith is unavailable, therefore I am writing to you on his behalf.
	You have asked pursuant to his Answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 180W if the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will place the Action Plan referred to in the Library.
	I have arranged for a copy of the Child Support Agency Audit Assurance Action Plan to be placed in the Library.
	I hope this is helpful.

Benefit Payments (Lewes)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Lewes constituency on income support claimed this benefit for (a) less than three months, (b) three to six months, (c) six to 12 months, (d) one to two years and (e) more than two years, in (i) May 1997 and (ii) May 2001.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 16 January 2002
	The available information is in the table. The data are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are subject to a degree of sampling error. Figures of less than 500 are subject to a high degree of sampling variation and should only be taken as a guide.
	
		Income support recipients in the Lewes parliamentary constituency -- by duration—May 1997 and May 2001
		
			 Duration of claim May 1997 May 2001 
		
		
			 Under 3 months 200 300 
			 3 to under 6 months 200 100 
			 6 months to under 1 year 300 300 
			 1 year to under 2 years 400 500 
			 2 years and over 2,400 2,300 
			 All cases 3,500 3,500 
		
	
	Note:
	1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are subject to a degree of sampling variation. Figures of less than 500 are subject to a high degree of sampling variation and should only be used as a guide.
	2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.
	3. Based on constituency boundaries as at May 1997.
	Source:
	Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1997 and May 2001.

Benefits (Disabled People)

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had on developing a system of benefits easily accessible to those with mental as well as physical disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Disability living allowance and attendance allowance provide a contribution towards the extra costs faced by severely disabled people. Entitlement to these benefits is not based on specific mental or physical disabilities, but depends upon the need for help with personal care, supervision and (in the case of disability living allowance) mobility difficulties which arise from such disabilities. This means that the benefits are already accessible to people with mental or physical disabilities, or a combination of both.
	We are exploring, with the help of representatives from disability organisations, whether extra-costs disability benefits could be based on a range of activities of daily living rather than just the care and mobility tests. We are currently in the process of testing a model based on daily living activities with the help of volunteers who a have recently claimed disability living allowance or attendance allowance.

CFS/ME

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans the Benefits Agency has to review procedures for assessing applicants for disability benefits for sufferers of CFS/ME.

Maria Eagle: The Department for Work and Pensions recognises the chronic fatigue syndromes (including ME) as potentially debilitating illnesses. The rules of disability benefits, and the guidance given to those who make decisions on entitlement, as well as those doctors who assist in gathering evidence and interpreting it, already take account of this.
	We have no plans to review current procedures for handling claims for disability benefits specifically for applicants who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome/ myalgic encephalitis.

Housing Benefit

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how current spending on housing benefit is divided between (a) local authority, (b) housing association, (c) privately rented and (d) other categories of accommodation.

Malcolm Wicks: The available information is in the table.
	
		Forecast housing benefit expenditure, 2001–02
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 Rent rebates (local authority tenants) 5,361 
			 Rent allowance—registered social landlord tenants 3,385 
			 Rent allowance—private tenants 2,932 
			  
			 Total 11,677 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £ million and are consistent with, and underlie, the forecasts published in the Chancellor's pre-Budget report, November 2001.
	2. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
	3. The figure for rent allowance paid to social landlord tenants includes housing association and non-housing association accommodation. Separate data on rent allowance paid to housing association tenants only are not collected.
	Source:
	Estimated out-turn expenditure calculated using actual caseload information

Housing Benefit

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households are in receipt of housing benefit.

Malcolm Wicks: 3,854,000 households in Great Britain were in receipt of housing benefit at August 2001, the latest date for which information is available.
	Notes:
	1. The data refer to households claiming housing benefit which may be a single person, a couple or a family. More than one benefit household can live in one property, for example two or more adults in a flat or house share arrangement.
	2. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated.
	3. The figures exclude any extended payment cases.
	4. Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000.
	Source:
	Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload count taken in August 2001.

Job Seeker's Allowance

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed job seeker's allowance in the Uxbridge constituency in each September since 1997.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. John Randall, dated 18 January 2002
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question regarding the number of people claiming job seeker's allowance (JSA) in the Uxbridge constituency in each September since 1997. (28533).
	The claimant count consists of all people claiming JSA or NI credits at Employment Service local offices. They must declare that they are out of work, capable of, available for and actively seeking work during the week in which their claim is made.
	The information is given in the table below.
	
		Claimant count level (not seasonally adjusted)—in the Uxbridge Parliamentary Constituency
		
			 Date Number 
		
		
			 September 1997 1,321 
			 September 1998 1,021 
			 September 1999 968 
			 September 2000 749 
			 September 2001 679

LORD CHANCELLOR

Access to Children

John Stanley: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what amendments the Government are seeking to the September 2001 text of the draft Council regulations on the mutual enforcement of judgments on rights of access to children; and if it is the Government's policy that this Council regulation should take legal effect.

Michael Wills: The proposal referred to was an initiative of the French presidency in July 2000, to which substantial amendments were made during the Belgian presidency, and it is expected that it will be subsumed into the recent Commission proposal on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matters of parental responsibility.

Parental Responsibility

John Stanley: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what amendments the Government are seeking to the September 2001 proposal for a Council regulation on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matters of parental responsibility; and if it is the Government's policy that this Council regulation should take legal effect.

Michael Wills: The Government support the underlying aim of this proposal—namely, to extend the principle of mutual recognition to all decisions on parental responsibility by establishing a clear and coherent set of rules for attributing jurisdiction, and putting in place arrangements for co-operation between the courts and central authorities of the member states. The Government are concerned to ensure that negotiations take full account of the operation of the 1980 Hague Convention on Child Abduction. Negotiations are still at an early stage, and it is too early to assess whether the proposal should be adopted by Ministers and incorporated into national legislation.

Child Abduction (Hague Convention)

John Stanley: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list the actions that the Government may take to further the implementation and financing of the conclusions and recommendations of the March 2001 Meeting of the Special Commission to Review the Operation of the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

Rosie Winterton: We will continue to work with the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference and with other States Parties to the Convention in order to take forward the work resulting from the Special Commission. The Final Report on the Special Commission is expected shortly, and the Permanent Bureau is planning to complete its Final Report on Transfrontier Access/Contact in May 2002.
	In addition to our standard contribution to the Hague Conference, which this year amounts to £70,514, we have made a grant of £14,452.85 to the Permanent Bureau in the current financial year, in order to assist them in carrying forward their work on children conventions. We have also subscribed a further £5,000 towards the costs of maintaining and developing the International Child Abduction Database (INCADAT).
	The UK sent a delegation of senior judges and officials to a conference arranged by the Permanent Bureau at De Ruwenberg in October 2001 at which judicial co-operation and good practice in central authorities were discussed. France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States were also represented. The Permanent Bureau has begun work on producing a Good Practice Guide, and we will continue to support this.
	The Permanent Bureau is currently considering whether to recommend the convening of a follow-up Special Commission later this year, in order to continue work on good practice, on transfrontier contact and on judicial co-operation. If the Special Commission takes place, the United Kingdom will send a delegation.
	The Permanent Bureau also now issues questionnaires to newly acceding member states and we will take this into account in considering whether to accept their accessions in relation to the United Kingdom.
	We are also providing encouragement and support to countries considering whether to join the convention. My officials have taken part in a conference of southern African countries considering child abduction and other child protection issues in London this week, and I attended and addressed the conference on 23 January.

Magistrates Courts

Greg Knight: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the level of arrears of payments of fines imposed by magistrates courts in England and Wales.

Michael Wills: Magistrates Courts Committees have responsibility for the collection of a range of debts imposed through the courts, including not only fines but also fees, compensation, confiscation orders, legal aid contributions and some maintenance orders. It is not possible to separate out just the fines from the total.
	Arrears is described as the total of missed lump sums or missed instalments on impositions where deferred payment was allowed. The total amount of money owed to the courts at the end of September 2001 which was in arrears was £224,694,570.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Urban Regeneration

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what schemes targeting urban regeneration needs are managed by her Department; how much each scheme has available to invest; what issues each scheme aims to tackle; and how much has been spent annually since 1997 (a) in the United Kingdom, (b) in Teesside, (c) in Redcar and Cleveland and Middlesbrough councils and (d) in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency.

Alun Michael: Regional development agencies, in partnership with the Countryside Agency, have been given the task of managing a programme aimed at the regeneration of small rural towns. Expenditure details are not yet available but £37 million was allocated to the programme for the period 2001–02 to 2003–04.

Correspondence

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will respond to the letter of 6 July 2001 from the hon. Member for Sunderland, South concerning the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Elliot Morley: A response to my hon. Friend's letter of 6 July was sent on 3 January 2002. I apologise for the delay in replying.

Foot and Mouth

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the approximate total market value of animals killed because of foot and mouth disease; and what the total paid in compensation was;
	(2)  what was the total cost of valuations for animals culled in the foot and mouth epidemic that were in excess of perceived market value.

Elliot Morley: The levels of compensation paid to farmers whose animals were culled as a result of foot and mouth was determined in accordance with schedule 3 to the Animal Health Act 1981. Most valuations were made by independent valuers appointed by DEFRA who were instructed to determine the market value of culled livestock and the remainder were based on standard values published by the Department. The total paid in statutory compensation for slaughtered animals is £1,079,500,000.
	The Department has not published an assessment of the total market value of animals killed because of FMD. The statistics which the Department will publish in "Agriculture in the UK" in March 2002 will show the impact of FMD on the value of the industry's assets.

Foot and Mouth

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many sheep have been slaughtered since the last case of foot and mouth was diagnosed in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: 5,780 sheep have been slaughtered since the last case of foot and mouth was diagnosed in the United Kingdom on 30 September 2001. These sheep came from 21 flocks (2,067 from one premises) and were culled as dangerous contacts as a result of returning sero-positive blood samples.
	Note:
	Figures subject to revision as more data become available.
	Source:
	DCS database as at 16 January 2002.

Foot and Mouth

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much meat from countries where foot and mouth disease is present was imported into the United Kingdom in 2001; and if she will list the countries involved.

Elliot Morley: The table details UK imports of meat from FMD susceptible species 1 between January and November 2001 from countries where FMD is present.
	1 Cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and reindeer
	
		
			 Product/country Total (tonnes) 
		
		
			  Meat of bovine animals and sheep(11) 
			 Argentina 5,453 
			 Botswana 10,258 
			 Brazil 75,680 
			 Namibia 7,538 
			 South Africa 282 
			 Swaziland 15 
			 Zimbabwe 4,581 
			  
			 Total—meat and meat products (bovine and sheep) 103,807 
		
	
	(11) There were no imports of pigmeat, goatmeat or reindeer meat from the specified countries between January and November 2001
	European Community legislation permits the importation of meat from certain countries where FMD is present but only where the disease is restricted to specific areas. Imports are permitted either from parts of the country that are free of disease or under strict conditions that ensure the meat does not come from any animal that may have come in contact with FMD before, during or after slaughter.
	All meat imported from third countries must be accompanied by veterinary certification. This must confirm that the meat is derived from animals which have been subjected to a veterinary inspection during the 24 hours prior to slaughter and showed no signs of FMD.
	All meat imported into the UK from third countries must enter at designated UK border inspection posts (BIPs) where it is subject to veterinary inspections.

Foot and Mouth

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will ensure that extra costs associated with the showing of animals, and precautions against foot and mouth disease, will not be passed on to county shows.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 21 January 2002
	Responsibility for taking the necessary biosecurity measures, to ensure that shows can be conducted without increased risk of disease spread, will rest with the organisers and participants.

Foot and Mouth

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if agricultural shows will remain exempt from the 20 day standstill period imposed as a result of foot and mouth disease unless the foot and mouth disease situation deteriorates.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 21 January 2002
	Detailed arrangements for agricultural shows are currently being drawn up. Essentially the 20 day standstill will not be triggered provided that the animals attending shows are individually identified and kept in isolation before and after each one.

Farmers Compensation

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what compensation is paid to farmers whose applications are wrongly assessed by her Department.

Elliot Morley: Compensation in the form of interest may be paid to applicants where three criteria are met. These are that the Department was entirely at fault, it was entirely due to an administrative error and it could have been avoided.

Tenant and Hill Farmers

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have to concentrate financial support to help tenant and hill farmers.

Alun Michael: Within the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP), the hill farm allowance provides specific support to hill farmers. The hill farm allowance will be reviewed this year in the context of the mid-term evaluation of the ERDP. Ministers are keeping the position of tenant farmers under review.

Illegal Meat Imports

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the cost of installing (a) detectors and (b) staff to eliminate the illegal import of meat into the United Kingdom.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 17 January 2002
	We are considering a number of initiatives aimed at improving our ability to prevent and detect illegal imports of meat into the UK. No decisions have been taken to install new X-ray machines, although this is one of the options we are examining. We are also looking at improved intelligence to better target enforcement activity. Detailed costings will depend on what measures are decided, how they are to be targeted and what use can be made of existing resources.

Inland Waters

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the difficulties facing councils in getting access to inland waters in England and Wales.

Alun Michael: We have made no such assessment. Last month we published the findings of research establishing the facts about water-based sport and recreation. The report "Water-based Sport and Recreation" identified the powers available to local authorities to give people greater access to inland water for open-air recreation. We are looking at what action we may need to take in the light of the research report. Copies of the report are available in the Library.

Combinable Crops

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of combinable crops are grown from farm saved seed in the UK, broken down by crop.

Elliot Morley: The Department does not collect information on the use of farm saved seed.

GM Crops

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government will take to ensure that conventional seeds grown in the UK will remain free of GM contamination if GM crops are added to the National Seed List.

Elliot Morley: The Government are participating in discussions in Brussels on Commission proposals to amend the EU seed marketing directives to control the adventitious presence of GM events in conventional seeds. When EU measures are adopted, these will be implemented in the UK. Meanwhile, the Central Science Laboratory continues to audit seed companies. The audits check that companies have taken appropriate precautions against the adventitious presence of GM events in conventional seeds that will be sold to farmers and growers.

GM Crops

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government will take to ensure that non-GM and organic crops will remain below the proposed 1 per cent. threshold if GM crops are included on the National Seed List.

Elliot Morley: The Government are exploring with interested parties the terms on which GM and non-GM crops might co-exist, recognising that this needs to be resolved before there is any possibility of GM crops being grown here commercially. Commercialisation will not occur before the farm scale evaluations have been completed, even if GM varieties are included on the National Seed List.

GM Crops

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what factors were taken into account in the siting of a GM trial at Lower Hordley, Shropshire.

Michael Meacher: A site in Hordley, Shropshire was selected last year to take part in the farm scale evaluations of autumn-sown GM herbicide tolerant oil seed rape. The evaluations are being conducted under an agreement between the farming and biotechnology industry body (SCIMAC) and the Government. The progress of the evaluations is being overseen by the independent Scientific Steering Committee (SSC), which includes experts from academia and conservation organisations. SCIMAC finds locations for the evaluations programme. These are then checked, assessed and selected against scientific criteria, which includes crop history, agronomy and measures of biodiversity, by the independent researchers undertaking the field study. The distribution of locations is finally approved, on scientific grounds alone, by the SSC. They have recommended that a geographical spread of sites be obtained that is representative of regional differences in crop distribution and the range of current farming methods, biodiversity and production intensities throughout Britain. The Government are not involved in the process of selecting FSE sites.

GM Trials

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government have spent on GM trials in the past five years.

Michael Meacher: The Government are funding two research programmes which aim to provide information on the consequences, if any, for agriculture and the environment of growing certain genetically modified herbicide tolerant (GMHT) crops. The Farm Scale Evaluations (FSEs) programme is a three-year programme allowing independent researchers to study the effect that the management practices associated with GMHT crops might have on farmland wildlife, when compared with weed control used with non-GM crops. The Botanical and Rotational Implications of Genetically Modified Herbicide Tolerance (BRIGHT) project aims to determine the agricultural implications of GMHT crops and produce management information for their sustainable production.
	The costs of the FSE programme and BRIGHT project met by Government are:
	
		
			 Project £ 
		
		
			 FSEs(12) 5,123,265 
			 BRIGHT(13) 235,521 
			  
			 Total 5,358,786 
		
	
	(12) To end March 2002
	(13) To end March 2002

IACS Payments

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason the IACS payment due to be paid by 31 January is being withheld; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The RPA expects to be able to pay the vast majority of Arable Area Payment Scheme (AAPS) claims within the regulatory time frame, which ends on 31 January. However, because of the processing time that has been lost due to industrial action, (which was suspended on 11 January), it is likely that more claims than usual will be carried over into February. Every effort will be made to keep this to the absolute minimum. As at 16 January 81 per cent. of AAPS claims have been passed for payment.

IACS Payments

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers in Wiltshire applied for assistance under the IACS scheme in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001; and of these how many have been paid.

Elliot Morley: 989 IACS (Arable Area Payment Scheme) applications were received from farmers in Wiltshire in 2000 and 983 have been paid.
	The figures for 2001 are 979 IACS applications of which 562 have been paid. 2001 applications are still being processed.

Countryside and Rights of Way Act

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to bring into force section 57 and schedule 6 to the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

Alun Michael: Section 57 introduces schedule 6 to the Countryside and Rights of way 2000, which contains a wide range of provisions relating to the creation, stopping-up and diversion of highways. These provisions require the enactment of detailed secondary legislation to bring them into effect.
	I intend to implement those new measures that relate to the closure or diversion of rights of way on the basis of crime prevention and pupil and teacher safety ahead of the other provisions in schedule 6. I will be issuing a consultation paper on these shortly. The crime prevention measures will be restricted to areas designated by the Secretary of State for this specific purpose.
	Public consultation on the other schedule 6 provisions is planned for early next year.

Radioactive Waste

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) levels and (b) amount of stock piled radioactive waste is held in the UK from (i) civilian and (ii) military establishments.

Michael Meacher: Using data from the 1998 UK Radioactive Waste Inventory the amounts of waste (expressed in conditioned form) are as follows:
	
		Units = m(16) 
		
			  Civil Military 
		
		
			 HLW 700 — 
			 ILW 70,000 2,700 
			 LLW 4,700 1,200

Organic Fruit Growers

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government have spent in assistance to organic fruit growers in the past five years.

Elliot Morley: Aid is available for the conversion of land to organic farming and free advice is available to farmers through the Organic Conversion Information Service. Statistics are not available specifically on payments to organic fruit growers as the data are collected by reference to general land type.

Agriculture Council

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome was of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 21 and 22 January; what the Government's position was on each issue discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: I represented the United Kingdom at the Agriculture Council meeting on 21 January in Brussels. The council held initial debates on commission proposals concerning potato starch quotas and animal health requirements governing the movement of pet animals. I welcomed both proposals and, on the latter, stressed the importance of having rules safeguarding against the risk of importing rabies that were fully based on scientific advice.
	The council agreed unanimously to permit Portugal to pay a state aid to pig producers to offset the repayment of aids paid illegally in 1994 and 1998. In consenting to this I expressed grave concern at the council's increasing tendency to approve aids which, particularly in sensitive sectors such as pigmeat, could undermine the integrity of the Single Market.
	The council also received a report from Commissioner Byrne on the commission's progress in negotiating veterinary and phytosanitary equivalence agreements with third countries, notably in relation to the Mercosur countries and Chile. I welcomed this but called upon the Commission to ensure all Mercosur countries complied with existing obligations to permit imports of milk products and bovine semen from all EU countries.

Community Vibrancy

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which organisation initiated the idea of an indicator of community vibrancy; whose decision it was to publish a list of communities' vibrancy; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: The Countryside Agency worked with the Rural White Paper team during development of the set of headline indicators published in the Rural White Paper. Indicator 15 Community vibrancy, under the theme A Vibrant Countryside was to measure
	"% of parishes in four categories (vibrant, active, barely active, sleeping) assessed on numbers of meeting places, voluntary and cultural activities, contested parish elections."
	The purpose of the indicator is to measure on a national basis the trend over time.
	The list of communities' vibrancies was made available to Members of Parliament through the House of Commons Library after the information was requested in a parliamentary question by the hon. Member for South-East Cornwall (Mr. Breed) on 28 November 2001, Official Report, column 1018W. The list had not been previously published as it represents work in progress for the headline indicator as simply a broad measure at the national level.

Community Vibrancy

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which organisation devised the criteria for an indicator of community vibrancy; what consultation there was with individual communities in advance of the publication of this information; and what opportunity there is for communities to dispute their classification after publication.

Alun Michael: The Countryside Agency published interim results from its own interpretation of community vibrancy based on three 'classes' in its State of the Countryside Report 2001. The indicator was based on interim findings of the 2000 Rural Services Survey and the State of the Countryside report recognised some limitations with the indicator, stating that these findings largely reflect the 'critical' mass of population needed to enable the community activity opportunity to become viable or functional. The indicator does not reveal the extent to which smaller settlements and parishes are able to take up community activities in neighbouring parishes. Further, communities in all size of parish may exhibit community vibrancy in other ways than those assessed here.
	Consultation was not done directly with individual communities. However the scoring system used for the sub-set of parishes analysed was contained in the State of the Countryside Report 2001. Following this publication, the Countryside Agency received no comments on the components of the scoring system. The indicator is still in development and the scoring was adapted to meet the four classes used in the RWP headline indicator.
	Individual parish scores were not intended to be published, but used within an overall indicator based on returns submitted through the Rural Services Survey parish questionnaire to all rural parish clerks during autumn 2000. Some forms were interpreted differently or inadequately completed and, to date, the indicator has used these returns as the sole basis. The indicator is thus based on a standard national measure for 2000. For future work, the Countryside Agency is looking at ways of improving the collection and robustness of data to inform our indicator. This will include working with DEFRA, National Association of Local Councils and bodies such as rural community councils.
	The Countryside Agency recognises some shortcomings in the data and it is not intended for any listing of parishes to be used for targeting funding or similar policy initiatives. The Countryside Agency intends to look at the whole issue again through consultation on the methodology, rather than amending individual classifications. Differing views over individual classifications are inevitable but the Countryside Agency would prefer to address these in a review of the indicator rather than on a case-by-case basis. In particular, the naming convention of the groups may be reconsidered to more accurately reflect the underlying information.

Community Vibrancy

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the survey results of the questionnaire sent out to parish and town council clerks by the Countryside Agency in advance of its classification of communities according to the indicator of community vibrancy.

Alun Michael: The survey results of the questionnaire sent to parish and town council clerks has been published on the Countryside Agency's website at www.countryside.gov.uk/ruralservices/index.htm

Community Energy Programme

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when bids will be invited under the Government's new Community Energy programme.

Michael Meacher: The opening 'Pathfinder' bidding round for the £50 million Community Energy programme is being launched today. We expect to allocate around £5 million under this initial round for schemes that will provide carbon savings; help to alleviate fuel poverty among householders, and reduce fuel costs for hospitals, universities and other community buildings.
	I am placing copies of the programme documentation in the House Library.

PIU Energy Review

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what format a further period of consultation following the publication of the PIU energy review will take.

Brian Wilson: I have been asked to reply.
	The PIU have yet to publish their report and may make recommendations for taking the report forward. As such, Ministers have not yet decided the format of any consultation follow up to the report.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

Advertising

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the advertising campaigns which he and his predecessors have commissioned since May 1997, showing for each (a) its objectives, (b) its beginning and end dates, (c) the media used, (d) criteria adopted to judge its effectiveness, (e) the extent to which effectiveness criteria were met, (f) agency involvement and (g) its cost.

Alan Whitehead: holding answer 11 January 2002
	For details of the costs of my Department's advertising campaigns, the media used and effectiveness, I refer the hon. Member to the reply by the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Stretford and Urmston (Beverley Hughes), to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on 20 December 2000, Official Report, columns 168–69W.
	Final outturn figures for 2000–01 and provisional outturn figures for major advertising campaigns in 2001–02 and advertising agencies involved are:
	
		£ million 
		
			   Expenditure  
			 Campaign Agencies 2000–01 2001–02(14) 
		
		
			 Road Safety AMV/BDDO; D'Arcy 7.8 9.5  
			 Fire Safety Euro (15)— 2.9 
			 traveline RKCR/Y&R 0 1.7 
			 Foot and mouth public information Ogilvy 0 1.2 
			 Are you doing your bit? AMV/BBDO 5.6 (16)— 
		
	
	(14) Provisional
	(15) Home Office responsibility
	(16) DEFRA responsibility
	Activity on road and fire safety is ongoing and objectives are to reduce deaths and injuries. Advertising to support traveline commences in March 2002. Objectives are to increase awareness and promote use of the line. The foot and mouth public information campaign ran during March/April 2001 and provided guidance for visitors to the countryside. "Are you doing your bit?", launched in March 1998, was designed to motivate individuals to take simple actions to protect the environment.

Number Plates

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the new Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) regulations will allow European number plates with a national identifier in the UK.

John Spellar: Motorists will be able to make a choice. They will be able to display either the European circle of stars with GB as the UK national identifier or they will be able to display one of the four flags, (Union Jack, Cross of St. George, Saltaire or Welsh Dragon) with any one of a number of identifiers, for example UK or GB, "Eng" for England, "Sco" for Scotland or "Cym" for Wales.

Starter Home Initiative (Probation Officers)

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if probation officers are counted as key workers for schemes set up under the Starter Home Initiative in London.

Sally Keeble: A wide range of workers, including probation officers, are eligible for help under the Starter Home Initiative, although priority is being given to teachers, police, nurses and other essential health workers. Among those benefiting from round one of the initiative in London are social workers, fire fighters and transport workers. None of the successful bids in London targeted probation officers. The second round of funding of £20 million is being allocated to housing hot spots outside London.

Regulatory Impact Assessments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many regulatory impact assessments have been produced by his Department since August 2001; and if he will list those produced (a) following initial consultation with affected parties about the most appropriate methodology for assessing costs and other impacts and (b) which set out full commercial impacts, including profitability, employment, consumer prices and competitiveness, as recommended in "Good Policy Making".

Alan Whitehead: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie) on 17 January 2002, Official Report, column 483W.

Slam-door Trains

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which he would delay the phasing out of slam-door trains.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the provisions of the Railway Safety Regulations 1999. These require the removal of Mark I rolling stock unless the Health and Safety Executive make an exemption. Under section 6(2) of the regulations there is a requirement on the HSE to consult on any exemptions they propose.

Council Tenants

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what percentage real terms increase in each year he predicts for formula rents for council tenants in each individual local authority until 2011.

Sally Keeble: In 2002–03, we predict that the average rate of increase in real terms for formula rents for council tenants will be 1 per cent. Taking into account the policy that Registered Social Landlord rents increases should be limited to RPI plus 0.5 per cent. a year, it is likely that average council rents will have to rise by about an average of about 1.5 per cent. a year in real terms over the next 10 years to achieve Ministers' intention that similar rents should be charged for similar council and housing association properties by 2012. This is about half the average rate of council rent increases over the last 10 years.
	However, the precise path of social rents over the next 10 years will depend, among other things, on the outcomes of future Spending Reviews and the decisions taken by individual landlords who retain responsibility for rent setting.

Clean Fuels

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the number and percentage of (a) cars, (b) buses and (c) lorries which (i) run on LPG or similar clean fuels and (ii) are adapted to run on conventional and clean fuels.

David Jamieson: There are estimated to be around 50,000 LPG cars in the UK. Motorists are converting to LPG at an increasing rate, with the number expected to increase by about 25,000 over the next year, prompted by the Government grants available, and the fact that low-cost LPG fuel is now available in all areas of the country.
	DVLA data provide more disaggregated information on alternative fuel use as follows:
	
		
			 Vehicle class Dedicated gas Percentage of total fleet Bi-fuel Percentage of total fleet 
		
		
			 Cars/LGVs 1,375 0.005 23,622 0.01 
			 Buses 74 0.08 66 0.07 
			 Trucks 202 0.05 25 0.006 
		
	
	But this understates the number of vehicles because not all conversions to alternative fuelling are notified to DVLA.
	DVLA statistics do not distinguish between liquified petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas vehicles. However, cars and light commercial vehicles tend to use LPG, while heavier vehicles use natural gas.
	Although DVLA does not keep statistics on the number of battery electric cars, my Department estimates that there are approximately 400 of these in the UK. In addition, DVLA statistics show that there are 484 hybrid petrol/electric cars.

Train Overcrowding

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he last discussed with the SRA overcrowding on trains.

John Spellar: Ministers and officials from my Department have regular meetings with the Strategic Rail Authority to discuss all aspects of service provision.

London Underground

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many and what percentage of (a) Metropolitan and (b) Piccadilly line trains departed at least five minutes late from Uxbridge in each month in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2001.

John Spellar: This is an operational matter for London Underground, who inform me that they do not hold the information requested in a readily available form and that it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing and Council Tax Benefits

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how each local authority performed against the local government performance indicators on housing benefit and council tax benefit in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Alan Whitehead: Details of the estimated outturn performance on housing benefit and council tax benefit for individual English authorities at 31 March 2001 is available on the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions website at: www.local-regions.dtlr.gov.uk/ bestvalue/indicators/indicatorsindex.htm.
	The estimated overall performance of local authorities in England against each relevant best value indicator in 2000–01 was as follows:
	
		Housing benefit and council tax benefit best value performance indicators
		
			 Indicator(17) Average Top quartile Median Bottom quartile 
		
		
			 76 Security—whether authority has written and pro-active strategy for combating fraud and error (Yes/No) 89% Yes n/a n/a n/a 
			 77 Average cost of handling HB/CTB claim £82.39 £102.00 £75.25 £51.00 
			 78a Average time for processing new claims 50 days 35 days 45 days 60 days 
			 78b Average time for processing notifications for changes of circumstance 23 days 10 days 18 days 31 days 
			 78c Percentage of renewal claims processed on time 71 90 75 57 
			 79a Percentage of case for which the benefit calculation was accurate 93 97 95 92 
			 79b The percentage of recoverable overpayments (excluding council tax benefit) that were recovered in the year 95 70 61 48 
		
	
	(17) Numbers refer to the BVPIs published in Best Value and Audit Commission Performance Indicators for 2000–01 available on www.local-regions/dtlr.gov.uk//bestvalue/indicators/indicatorsindex/htm
	Note:
	Details of the final outturn performance data for 2000–01 will be available shortly on the same website.

Trans-European Rail Networks

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with his European colleagues regarding retention of the identified trans- European rail networks within the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: There have been no discussions about the TEN rail network in the UK. The Commission has published proposals to amend the guidelines governing the development of the TEN (Decision No. 1692/96), and we are about to publish a consultation document to consider the draft revisions. However, no substantial changes to the network in the UK are proposed.

Regional Assemblies

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many written representations he has received in the last 12 months expressing support for an elected regional assembly in the (a) South East, (b) Eastern region, (c) South West, (d) West Midlands, (e) East Midlands, (f) Yorkshire and Humberside, (g) North West and (h) North East, broken down by constituency.

Stephen Byers: The information is in the table:
	
		
			 Region Number of written representations Number attributable to constituencies 
		
		
			 South East 2  
			 Winchester  1 
			 Fareham  1 
			
			 East of England 1  
			 Hitchin and Harpenden  1 
			 South West 0 0 
			 West Midlands 1 0 
			 East Midlands 0 0 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 1 0 
			
			 North West 5  
			 Salford  1 
			 Burnley  1 
			
			 North East 13  
			 Wansbeck  1 
		
	
	It is not possible to give a definitive breakdown of constituencies as a number of these representations were from organisations as opposed to individuals.
	We have also received five written representations in favour of directly elected assemblies generally.

Special Advisers

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the average time is that the Head of his Department has recommended since May 1997 between a special adviser leaving his Department and taking up outside employment; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Whitehead: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 January 2002, Official Report, column 594W.

Speed Cameras

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many speed cameras the Government have part-funded in the last two years; and how many lives are estimated to have been saved as a consequence.

David Jamieson: The Government do not fund speed cameras. The cost of purchasing and operating cameras falls to the local authorities and police. Eight police force areas have been trailing a new funding system that allows some fixed penalty fine revenue to be netted-off and re-invested in speed camera operation. It is estimated that 109 fewer people were killed or seriously injured as a result of the increased enforcement in the trial areas. The new funding system is now available nationally and I fully expect, as more areas join, the numbers of those killed or seriously injured to decrease still further.

Bus and Rail Journeys

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many (a) bus and (b) rail journeys there were in each year since 1995; and if he will express the figures as an index using 1997 as the base.

David Jamieson: Figures for bus journeys are collected by financial year. The table provides statistics from 1995–96 to 2000–01 and index numbers based on 1997–98 = 100.
	
		Bus and rail journeys in Great Britain -- Million
		
			 Financial year Local bus Index National rail Index 
		
		
			 1995–96 4,383 101.2 761 90.0 
			 1996–97 4,350 100.5 801 94.7 
			 1997–98 4,330 100.0 846 100.0 
			 1998–99 4,248 98.1 892 105.4 
			 1999–2000 4,281 98.9 931 110.0 
			 2000–01 4,309 99.5 957 113.1

Road/Rail Interface Risks

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress has been made on the report from the Health and Safety Commission's working group on risks associated with road/rail interface since December 2001; if he will give a date for its publication; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The report is progressing to schedule and I understand from the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) that it will be discussed by them on 12 February. It remains the hope of the HSC that its report will be available in the first quarter of 2002. I look forward to receiving the report when Ministers will consider any recommendations contained therein.

Shenfield-Colchester Transport Links

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the costs and viability of (a) constructing an additional railway track between Shenfield and Colchester and (b) upgrading the equivalent stretch of the A12 to dual 3.

David Jamieson: The London to Ipswich Multi-Modal study will recommend a plan for transport in the London to Ipswich corridor over the next generation.

Traffic Signs

Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 15 January 2002, Official Report, column 204W, on traffic signs, 
	(1)  whether the conditions under which the 1989 Guildford Direction Signs Demonstration Project were conducted met the standards that are required for similar research undertaken by his Department today;
	(2)  what lessons were learned from the Guildford Direction Signs Demonstration Project of 1989;
	(3)  whether the Guildford Direction Signs Demonstration Project was conducted in a car park;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the academic rigour with which the 1989 Guildford Direction Signs Demonstration Project was conducted; and if he will publish it.

Sally Keeble: The Guildford Direction Signs Demonstration Project was used to trial a number of recommendations made in the report on the Direction Signs Review, published by the Stationery Office in 1987. The project was jointly administered by Surrey county council, Guildford borough council and the Department. It entailed the replacement of 420 directional signs across the town and its approaches with new versions. None of the work was carried out in car parks.
	A number of ideas were tested, including improvements to the system of colour-coding routes to emphasise their status. This and other features illustrating good practice were incorporated in the revised Traffic Signs Regulations that followed in 1994 and in departmental guidance to highway authorities.
	The project was carried out to standards similar to those which would apply to a comparable project today, with close involvement of the Department's own specialists. I have no reason to question the rigour with which the work was conducted. Descriptions of the project written by some of the individuals who took part were published in the technical press (Highways and Transportation Journal July 1989 and February 1990).

Housing Associations (Right to Buy)

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to extend the right to buy scheme to housing associations.

Sally Keeble: We have no plans to extend the right to buy scheme further to housing association tenants.
	Pre-1988 secure tenants of non-charitable housing associations already have a right to buy and tenants of former local authority stock which has transferred to registered social landlords have a preserved right to buy. In addition, under the Housing Act 1996, eligible tenants of registered social landlords have a right to acquire their rented home.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Mr. Smith) of 16 January 2002, Official Report, columns 336–37W, if he will require UK airline companies to supply copies of the Government's pamphlet, "Advice on Travel Related Deep Vein Thrombosis", to passengers on long distance flights.

David Jamieson: UK airlines are aware of the health advice recently published by the Government and I understand they are using a variety of means to communicate that information to their passengers. At present the Government have no plans to require the airlines to provide health information in a specific format, but we are in contact with them to ensure that they provide their passengers with relevant advice in the most appropriate form, particularly that relating to deep vein thrombosis.

Railway Signals

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many signals on railways in (a) Britain and (b) Oxfordshire are illuminated by oil lamps; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: This information is not held centrally.

Exchange Rates

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what sterling to euro exchange rate applies on tolls at the (a) Severn bridges, (b) Dartford crossing, (c) Humber crossing, (d) Mersey tunnels, (e) Tamar bridge and (f) Tyne tunnels.

David Jamieson: There are currently no legal requirements for any of the mentioned undertakings to accept any currency other than sterling. Therefore, exchange rates are not fixed and are subject to change at the operators' discretion.
	Where they do accept payment in euros, each of the undertakings has a different method for working out the toll charged. Our calculation of the equivalent charges is:
	
		
			  Euro to £1 
		
		
			 (a) Severn bridges 1.67 
			 (b) Dartford crossings 1.85 
			 (c) Humber bridge 1.88 
			 (d) Mersey tunnels (18)— 
			 (e) Tamar bridge 1.6 
			 (f) Tyne tunnel 1.67 
		
	
	(18) Euros currently not accepted.

Rail Incident (Abergavenny)

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what investigations are to be undertaken into the incident on the railway line between Abergavenny and Cwmbran on 17 January; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: A Railway Inspector from the Health and Safety Executive's Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) is investigating the circumstances of the rail incident at Abergavenny on 18 January.

Transport Provision

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what effort he has made to ensure that service providers, employers and public transport users are involved in determining what constitutes adequate transport provision (a) in the UK and (b) in Teesside.

David Jamieson: The Department issues many draft policy documents, consultation papers, revisions to regulations and guidance on transport, inviting comments and suggestions from all interested parties. For example, the Department is currently consulting on "Powering Future Vehicles: Draft Government Strategy" with responses due by 1 March 2002.
	In addition, local authorities have produced five-year local transport plans in accordance with guidance issued by the Secretary of State. This guidance provides for full consultation at the local level. This applies equally to Teesside as it does to all English local authorities.
	In accordance with Planning Policy Guidance No. 11, regional planning bodies are required to produce regional transport strategies, again with full participation and consultation with all interested parties.
	The Department complies with the Cabinet Office code of practice on written consultation, which came into effect in January 2001. The code aims to increase the involvement of people and groups in public consultations, minimising the burden it imposes on them, and giving them a proper time—a standard minimum period of 12 weeks—to respond.

Housing (Solihull)

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether the anticipated density of the Cala Homes development in Solihull (appeal reference: APP/Q4625/AOI/1065304) exceeds the density recommended in PPG 3.

Sally Keeble: The appeal by Cala Homes (Reference APP/Q4625/A/01/1065304) related to an application for 78 apartments on a site of about one hectare at Church Hill road and Whitefields road, close to the town centre of Solihull. Paragraph 57 of PPG3 stresses that local planning authorities should avoid the inefficient use of land. The second bullet point of paragraph 58 states that local planning authorities should encourage development which makes more efficient use of land (between 30 and 50 dwellings per hectare net) and the third bullet point advises authorities to seek greater intensity of development at places with good public transport accessibility such as city, town, district and local centres or around major nodes along good quality public transport corridors.
	The inspector allowing the appeal by a decision dated 31 December 2001 judged the site to be one to which the third bullet point applies. Consequently, the density would not exceed that recommended in PPG3.

Driving Standards Agency

Harry Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many appeals have been received by the DSA over the past two years against the refusal to grant second trainee licences; how many of these have been (a) successful, (b) unsuccessful and (c) are still pending; and of those appeals which have been unsuccessful, if he will place in the Library a list of grounds on which appeals have been rejected.

David Jamieson: In the two years ending 31 December 2001, there were 387 appeals made against the registrar's decision to refuse a second trainee licence; 282 cases were withdrawn by the appellant before the appeal was determined, generally because the appellant had completed the qualifying process before the appeal was considered; and 24 cases are still pending.
	In the remaining 81 cases, independent Appeals Boards recommended to the Secretary of State refusing the applications, citing one of two grounds for dismissing appeals. These were accepted by the Secretary of State.
	The first ground was that the purpose of a trainee licence was to afford a reasonable opportunity—normally six months—to prepare for the third part of the qualifying examination via experience working as an instructor. A trainee licence was not an alternative to registration, and must not be allowed to become so.
	The second ground was that the appellant had failed a third attempt at the third part of the qualifying examination, therefore the person would need to start the qualifying process from the beginning, and was not eligible to hold a trainee licence.

Agriculture Industry

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps his Department is taking to improve health and safety within the agricultural industry; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Whitehead: The Government and the Health and Safety Commission have set national targets for reducing work-related deaths, injury and ill health in Great Britain. The Commission has selected the agricultural industry as a priority programme where improvements are needed if the national targets are to be met.
	Details of the agriculture priority programme and the Health and Safety Commission and Executive's Programme of Work for improving health and safety in the agricultural sector are set out in the Commission's Strategic Plan 2001–04. Copies can be found in the Library of the House.

Widford Bridge (Chelmsford)

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the space to allow cars access that are under the weight restriction on the Widford Bridge in Chelmsford with respect to avoiding (a) undue hazard to motorists and (b) possible damage to vehicles;
	(2)  for what reason advance warning signs of (a) weight restrictions and (b) roadworks at the Widford Viaduct in Chelmsford on the (i) A12, (ii) A414 (formerly the A1016) and (iii) A414 from Harlow were not erected prior to the work commencing;
	(3)  who has responsibility for posting advance warning signs about the (a) weight restrictions and (b) traffic works on the Widford Viaduct in Chelmsford;
	(4)  what the earliest date is that work can commence on replacing the Widford Bridge; and if he will bring that date forward;
	(5)  for what reason early advance warning signs at (a) weight restrictions and (b) roadworks at the Widford Viaduct in Chelmsford have not been erected on roads carrying traffic from (i) Ingatestone, (ii) Ongar, (iii) Witham and (iv) Boreham;
	(6)  when advance warning signs of (a) weight restrictions and (b) road works at the Widford Viaduct in Chelmsford will be posted on the (i) A12, (ii) A414 (formerly the A1016) and (iii) A414 from Harlow;
	(7)  what the total cost is of replacing the Widford Bridge in Chelmsford; and who will bear responsibility for the cost of the replacement work.

David Jamieson: The Widford Bridge is situated on the old A12 (now A1114) through Chelmsford. Chelmsford borough council manage the road on behalf of the Highway Authority, Essex county council, although pending its replacement, the bridge remains the responsibility of the Highways Agency.
	Because the bridge's condition has deteriorated, the agency has had to restrict to three tonnes the weight of vehicles using it. To achieve this, vehicle widths are restricted to 6 ft 6 in. The signing arrangements were designed for the borough council by the agency's design agents. The programming of the work to implement the width restriction and the installation of advance and permanent signing on the local road network are being organised by the borough council. All work is being carried out by the borough council's contractors although the Highways Agency is paying for it.
	A scheme to replace the bridge is currently expected to start in autumn 2003. The cost, which will be borne by the agency, is expected to be about £4.5 million. Given the large amount of detailed design and preparation work that needs to take place, and also taking into account the long lead in time necessary to carry out work over a busy railway line, this is the earliest date work can start.

Housing (Chelmsford)

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to make a decision on the transfer of Chelmsford borough council's housing stock to Chelmer Housing Partnership; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: The transfer of Chelmsford borough council's housing stock to Chelmer Housing Partnership is scheduled for Monday 11 March. The Secretary of State expects to decide whether to give consent to the transfer during the preceding week.

Departmental Press Office

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what plans he has to reorganise the Press Office at the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what civil service procedures were followed in the interviewing and appointment of a new Head of Media at the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions;
	(3)  when he expects to announce the appointment of a new Head of Media at the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions;
	(4)  if he will list each meeting he has had since 1 December 2001 with the Director of Communications of the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions; and what was the subject of each meeting.

Alan Whitehead: The appointment was announced on 21 January. It was made following an open competition for the post under the procedures in the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code.
	My right hon. Friend meets his Director of Communication on a regular basis to discuss relevant issues. Organisational matters within the Department are a matter for the permanent secretary, who consults my right hon. Friend in accordance with the practice of successive Administrations.

Transport Expenditure

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what the (a) public investment expenditure, (b) public resource expenditure and (c) private investment is for each year 2001–02 to 2010–11 broken down by (i) strategic roads, (ii) rail, (iii) local transport, (iv) London, (v) other transport areas and (vi) unallocated at (A) outturn prices and (B) 2000–01 prices;
	(2)  if he will provide a breakdown of the (a) public investment expenditure, (b) public resource expenditure, (c) private investment, (d) public expenditure supporting private investment and (e) public spending from local charging revenue planned for each year 2001–02 to 2010–11 as allocated in the 10 year transport plan of July 2000, subdivided between (i) strategic roads, (ii) rail, (iii) local transport, (iv) London, (v) other transport areas and (vi) unallocated at (A) outturn prices and (B) 2000–01 prices;
	(3)  if he will list the total public expenditure supporting private investment spent and planned for each year from 1997–78 to 2010–11 broken down by (a) strategic roads, (b) rail, (c) local transport, (d) London and (e) other transport areas at (i) outturn prices and (ii) 2000–01 prices.

David Jamieson: The information expressed in outturn prices requested in questions (b) and (c) is contained in Table A3 (page 99) of "Transport 2010: the 10-Year Plan". A copy of this was placed in the House Library when the plan was published in July 2000.
	All the other requested information is provided in tables A to E as follows.
	
		10-Year Plan: Revenue support for private investment—Table A: Outturn prices -- £ million
		
			  Strategic roads Railways Local transport London Other transport areas Total 
		
		
			 1997–98 88 (19)— 0 (19)— (19)— 88 
			 1998–99 131 (19)— 0 (19)— (19)— 131 
			 1999–2000 205 (19)— 1 (19)— (19)— 206 
			 2000–01 202 (19)— 3 (19)— (19)— 205 
			 2001–02 206 0 0 0 0 206 
			 2002–03 220 12 0 0 0 232 
			 2003–04 239 50 8 0 0 297 
			 2004–05 261 101 27 28 0 417 
			 2005–06 353 187 57 29 0 626 
			 2006–07 447 337 102 29 0 915 
			 2007–08 454 430 162 30 0 1,076 
			 2008–09 517 531 237 33 0 1,318 
			 2009–10 604 633 312 48 0 1,597 
			 2010–11 609 726 387 50 0 1,772 
			 1997–98 to 2010–11 4,536 3,007 1,296 246 0 9,085 
		
	
	
		Table B: 2000–01 prices -- £ million
		
			  Strategic roads Railways Local transport London Other transport areas Total 
		
		
			 1997–98 94 (19)— 0 (19)— (19)— 94 
			 1998–99 137 (19)— 0 (19)— (19)— 137 
			 1999–2000 209 (19)— 1 (19)— (19)— 210 
			 2000–01 202 (19)— 3 (19)— (19)— 205 
			 2001–02 201 0 0 0 0 201 
			 2002–03 209 11 0 0 0 221 
			 2003–04 222 46 8 0 0 276 
			 2004–05 236 92 24 26 0 378 
			 2005–06 312 165 50 25 0 553 
			 2006–07 385 291 88 25 0 789 
			 2007–08 382 362 136 25 0 905 
			 2008–09 424 436 195 27 0 1,081 
			 2009–10 484 507 250 38 0 1,279 
			 2010–11 476 567 302 39 0 1,384 
			 1997–98 to 2010–11 3,973 2,477 1,057 205 0 7,712 
		
	
	(19) Data not available
	
		10-Year Plan public expenditure and private investment—Table C: Public investment -- £ million (2000–01 prices)
		
			  Strategic roads Rail Local transport London Other Unallocated Total 
		
		
			 2001–02 972 245 1,300 591 71 0 3,179 
			 2002–03 1,073 955 1,469 736 70 0 4,302 
			 2003–04 1,099 2,106 1,575 881 78 0 5,739 
			 2004–05 1,122 1,922 1,742 825 56 99 5,766 
			 2005–06 1,000 2,343 1,686 661 55 116 5,861 
			 2006–07 1,113 2,101 1,798 600 54 237 5,903 
			 2007–08 1,230 1,016 1,834 589 53 1,393 6,115 
			 2008–09 1,380 746 1,797 564 51 1,595 6,133 
			 2009–10 1,381 749 1,763 559 50 1,807 6,310 
			 2010–11 1,363 749 1,743 559 49 2,016 6,478 
			 2001–02 to 2010–11 11,733 12,931 16,706 6,565 587 7,264 55,786 
		
	
	
		Table D: Public resource(20) -- £ million (2000–01 prices)
		
			  Strategic roads Rail Local transport London Local charging revenue Other Unallocated Total 
		
		
			 2001–02 420 1,323 2,719 598 0 128 0 5,187 
			 2002–03 434 1,244 2,736 657 0 145 0 5,216 
			 2003–04 466 1,163 2,735 677 0 137 0 5,178 
			 2004–05 485 1,150 2,717 686 123 135 0 5,296 
			 2005–06 486 1,059 2,693 672 239 133 0 5,282 
			 2006–07 430 1,012 2,671 661 260 132 0 5,166 
			 2007–08 439 865 2,640 650 275 130 0 4,999 
			 2008–09 421 868 2,621 641 297 129 0 4,977 
			 2009–10 404 705 2,596 631 314 127 0 4,777 
			 2010–11 410 633 2,575 607 302 126 0 4,653 
			 2001–02 to 2010–11 4,395 10,023 26,702 6,478 1,811 1,322 0 50,731 
		
	
	(20) Excluding revenue support for private investment
	
		Table E: Private investment -- £ million (2000–01 prices)
		
			  Strategic roads Rail Local transport London Other Unallocated Total 
		
		
			 2001–02 169 3,566 546 704 0 0 4,985 
			 2002–03 212 3,566 642 670 0 0 5,091 
			 2003–04 225 3,517 725 610 0 0 5,077 
			 2004–05 136 3,584 781 553 0 0 5,053 
			 2005–06 287 2,791 842 926 0 32 4,846 
			 2006–07 366 2,714 905 1,242 0 38 5,226 
			 2007–08 337 2,621 890 1,373 0 77 5,220 
			 2008–09 246 2,600 858 1,211 0 453 4,915 
			 2009–10 160 2,606 797 1,002 0 519 4,564 
			 2010–11 156 2,624 777 644 0 588 4,202 
			 2001–02 to 2010–11 2,294 30,189 7,762 8,935 0 1,707 49,180

Departmental Expenditure

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the public spending from local charging revenue planned for each year 2001–02 to 2010–11 is at (a) outturn prices and (b) 2000–01 prices.

Alan Whitehead: English local authorities have reported receiving £6.5 billion in income from sales, fees and charges in 1999–2000 excluding the amounts paid into the housing revenue account and the capital account. More recent information is not yet available, and projections have not been made for future years.

Planning Consents

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many planning consents have been granted on green belt land in each of the past 10 years.

Sally Keeble: The information requested is not held centrally by the Department and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

School Buses

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement about pilot studies being carried out into requiring traffic to stop for school buses.

Sally Keeble: As far as we are aware, there are no pilot studies being carried out into requiring traffic to stop for school buses. FirstGroup plc will shortly be starting pilots of American-style yellow school buses, but the pilots will not involve traffic being required to stop for the buses as it is required to do in the United States.

Council Tax

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the liability of people in hospital to pay council tax.

Alan Whitehead: During temporary stays in hospital, people remain liable for council tax at their normal addresses. However, when someone's main residence is a hospital, their previous home will be exempt from council tax if it is unoccupied.

Railways (South-West)

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement about the provision of extra resources for the improvement of railway facilities in the south-west.

David Jamieson: Each individual rail project and improvements negotiated through franchise agreements will usually benefit more than one part of Britain. The SRA has therefore not attempted to break down its planned expenditure on a regional basis.

Civil Aviation Authority

Malcolm Savidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he plans to issue guidance on the environmental objectives which the Civil Aviation Authority must follow in exercising its air navigation functions.

David Jamieson: I am today giving guidance to the CAA under section 70(2) of the Transport Act 2000 on environmental objectives for the authority in exercising its air navigation functions. While safety must always remain the paramount consideration, for the first time guidance is being given to the CAA on the Government's sustainable development strategy and environmental policies and how these relate to the authority's air navigation functions. It includes guidance on environmental problems commonly associated with aviation, including advice on best practice, noise mitigation procedures, and steps the authority should ensure are followed, including consultation, when changes to air navigation procedures become necessary that might have a significant effect on the environment. Links are made to the substantial body of guidance to regional and local planning authorities where there is a read across with air navigation procedures and the design of controlled airspace around larger airports. I have placed copies of the guidance in the Library.

Planning Green Paper

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will publish his consultation document on the Use Classes Order that was promised in the Planning Green Paper.

Sally Keeble: We are today publishing a consultation document entitled "Consultation on possible changes to the Use Classes Order and temporary uses provisions". This completes the series of consultation papers that together are designed to deliver a radical reform of the planning system.
	Planning permission is required for a material change of use. However, certain uses are so similar, for example in terms of noise, traffic, appearance and parking, that there is no obvious reason why planning permission for change of use from one to the other should be required. The Use Classes Order (UCO) excludes from planning control any change of use where both the existing and proposed use fall within the same class. The General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) provides further flexibility by classifying certain moves between the Use Classes as permitted development, so that a developer does not need to apply for planning permission.
	It is important that the Use Classes Order should be up to date and relevant and reflect current policy priorities. In our view, the order and related GPDO provisions should be constructed in a way which allows the maximum possible freedom from planning control consistent with delivering planning policy and wider objectives, including protecting amenity.
	The consultation document sets out a range of options for changes to the use class provisions and temporary use provisions. We will consider responses carefully before deciding on the most appropriate way forward.
	Copies of the consultation document will be placed in the Library of the House.

Regional Planning Guidance

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when Regional Planning Guidance for the east midlands will be published.

Alan Whitehead: The Regional Planning Guidance for the east midlands (RPG8) is being published today.
	The RPG sets out the spatial development strategy that encompasses proposals for the development of the region's economy, infrastructure, housing and other land uses. The guiding principle is that the main urban areas and previously developed land should be the preferred locations for most development. RPG also sets out proposals for the conservation, management and enhancement of the region's natural and cultural environment.
	I am pleased that much of the format and content of RPG8, including the vision, objectives and core strategy, carries forward much of what was proposed in the original draft RPG prepared by the East Midlands Regional Local Government Association (EMRLGA). RPG8 reflects very effective working between EMRLGA, local authorities and other stakeholders, all of whom have made valuable contributions to refine and enhance the original draft strategy. It builds on the new inclusive process for preparing RPG that the Government have put in place. The RPG was prepared before our planning Green Paper proposals were announced in December. I look to the Regional Planning Body to take strategy forward and to monitor and review it in line with the regional planning principles set out in the Green Paper.

Lord Birt

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  how many times he has met Lord Birt to discuss transport;
	(2)  if Lord Birt will be considering the role of the taxi as part of his transport analysis;
	(3)  what access to civil servants in his Department has been afforded to Lord Birt;
	(4)  if he will arrange for Lord Birt, as part of his transport work, to make an extended study of the operation of the Circle Line.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given today by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

Unitary Local Authorities

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what percentage of the population is covered by unitary local authorities.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. John Mann, dated 24 January 2002
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning the percentage of the population who live within unitary authorities.
	The percentage of the population of England at mid-2000 who lived within unitary local authorities created under the Local Government Act of 1992 is 16.6%. All local authorities in Wales are unitary authorities.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Nuclear Industry

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people live within the recommended safe distance from nuclear power plants in the UK.

Brian Wilson: There is no official recommendation relating to safe distances at which to live from nuclear power plants. All operators of civil nuclear installations in the UK are required to have emergency plans, as a condition of their site licences. These plans include a Detailed Emergency Planning Zone (DEPZ) around each site, defined in relation to the potential release of radiation from a reasonably foreseeable accident. The operators of UK civil nuclear power station sites have estimated that a total of 4,030 people are permanently resident within these DEPZs.

Nuclear Industry

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the potential future liabilities that the Government will incur owing to decommissioning in the nuclear industry; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: At 31 March 2001 public sector civil nuclear liabilities—i.e. those liabilities for which UKAEA and BNFL are responsible—were estimated to be over £42 billion. Liabilities estimates are reviewed annually by UKAEA and BNFL. Information is published in their annual reports and accounts.
	In her statement to the House on 28 November, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry outlined the nature of these liabilities and the Government's plans for improving management arrangements and ensuring that the nuclear legacy is dealt with safely, efficiently and cost effectively. A White Paper will be published in the spring

Nuclear Industry

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total level of Government financial support to the nuclear industry was in each year between 1980 and 1990, broken down by (a) research grants, (b) non-fossil fuel levy, (c) investment in BNFL facilities, (d) running costs of UKAEA and Ninex and (e) other sources.

Brian Wilson: Funding to the UK nuclear industry in this period was provided primarily in the form of grant and grant in aid to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). The funding enabled UKAEA to undertake civil nuclear research programmes and to discharge liabilities arising from past programmes.
	The sums provided were as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			  Grant, and grant in aid 
		
		
			 1980–81 158 
			 1981–82 164 
			 1982–83 215 
			 1983–84 204 
			 1984–85 196 
			 1985–86 169 
			 1986–87 163 
			 1987–88 148 
			 1988–89 247 
			 1989–90 196 
		
	
	Notes:
	Figures are taken from Government Expenditure Plans Reports, which until 1991 did not list separate funding for fusion.
	The non fossil fuel obligation and fossil fuel levy were first put in place in 1990 and therefore did not exist in the period in question.BNFL, like other companies, made various applications for and received funding under the first of the Government's Regional Development Grants schemes (RDG I) established under the Industry Act 1972 and the Industrial Development Act 1982. This scheme ended in 1984 and was replaced by a successor scheme (RDG II). BNFL did not receive any payments under the RDG II scheme. The Government's and BNFL's records relating to grants paid to BNFL under the RDG I scheme are no longer available.
	Government grants were reported in the source and application of funds statement (which, in accordance with the accounting conventions of the time, did not necessarily disclose actual cash flows) in BNFL's annual report and accounts as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
		
		
			 1980–81 24.5 
			 1981–82 30.6 
			 1982–83 36.4 
			 1983–84 40.7 
			 1984–85 32.1 
			 1985–86 18.5 
			 1986–87 1 
			 1987–88 Nil 
			 1988–89 Nil 
			 1989–90 Nil 
		
	
	The costs of UK NIREX were met by subscriptions from its members (UKAEA, the Central Electricity Generating Board, South of Scotland Electricity Board and BNFL.

Nuclear Industry

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the status of the dismantling and decommissioning programme for the Windscale Number One Pile at Sellafield.

Brian Wilson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 20 November 2001, Official Report, column 168W.

Nuclear Decommissioning

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will estimate the costs of (a) managing civil nuclear waste and (b) decommissioning civil nuclear facilities in each year since 1995; and if she will estimate the costs this year and in the remaining years of the current expenditure plan.

Brian Wilson: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Ilford, North (Linda Perham) on 17 December 2001, Official Report, columns 25–26W.

Nuclear Decommissioning

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the cost to BNFL of decommissioning nuclear plants for which it has responsibility.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 22 January 2002
	BNFL's annual report and accounts state that decommissioning expenditure charged against provisions since financial year 1993–94 was as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2001 82 
			 2000 76 
			 1999 80 
			 1998 10 
			 1997 1 
			 1996 1 
			 1995 1 
			 1994 7 
		
	
	Prior to this date no decommissioning expenditure charged against provisions was disclosed in BNFL's annual report and accounts. Information on any such expenditure is not readily available and would require disproportionate time and cost to bring together.

Fuel Poverty

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the source of the figures for the number of fuel poor households which are not connected to the gas network given in paragraph 9.12 of the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy; what the definition is of fuel poverty used in this paragraph; what verification of the figure has been carried out by (a) her Department and (b) independent bodies; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: Paragraph 9.12 of the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy states that around 1.3 million people without a gas supply in Great Britain are thought to be in fuel poverty. This figure is a broad estimate derived from estimates for England (0.9 million), Scotland (0.3 million) and Wales (0.05 million) based on official data sources. The production of these figures, and the overall estimate, have been overseen by members of the Government Statistical Service.
	England
	It is estimated that in 1998 there were approximately 0.9 million households in England which were fuel poor and did not have mains gas in the home (the householder stated that there was no gas supply in the home). The source of this information was the 1998 Energy Follow Up Survey which was carried out by the Building Research Establishment on behalf of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. This figure has been derived under both main definitions of fuel poverty used in the Government's UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, set out as follows. There is a small difference (0.08 million) between the figures under these two definitions; however, both figures round to 0.9 million.
	(1) Fuel poverty defined as when a household needs to spend more than 10 per cent. of its income (including housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest) on fuel in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime;
	(2) Fuel poverty defined as when a household needs to spend more than 10 per cent. of its income (excluding housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest) on fuel in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime.
	A summary of the fuel poverty results from this survey is available at www.dti.gov.uk/energy/fuelpoverty/ index.htm
	Scotland
	It is estimated that in 1996 there were approximately 320,000 households in Scotland which were fuel poor and did not have a mains gas supply in the home (i.e. there was neither a gas meter, nor a mains gas pipe in the home). This is the latest information available for Scotland. The source of this information is the 1996 Scottish House Condition Survey which is carried out on behalf of the Scottish Executive.
	The definition of fuel poverty which was used is that a household needs to spend 10 per cent. or more of income (including housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest) on all fuel use.
	Wales
	It is estimated that in 1997–98 there were approximately 50,000 households in Wales which were fuel poor and did not have a mains gas supply in the home. This is derived from information from the 1998 Welsh House Condition Survey which was carried out on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales. The estimate of fuel poverty in Wales is based on the number of households eligible for assistance through the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (222,000 in 1997–98). Figures are not currently available under definitions of fuel poverty, and this "eligibility measure" is used as a proxy.

Electricity

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she is taking to ensure that Ofgem has adequate financial services expertise to monitor and prevent any collapse in the new electricity trading arrangements.

Brian Wilson: I have asked Callum McCarthy, the chairman of Ofgem, to respond directly to the hon. Member on the issue. I will ensure that copies of the letter are placed in the Libraries of the House.

Electricity

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the Energy Regulator's statement in favour of small generators and transmission losses from large remote power stations.

Brian Wilson: The treatment of losses through transmission has been a long running issue in the electricity industry, the general consensus within the industry is that the current arrangements are not ideal. It will be important that any proposed change to the system carefully considers the effect on both small and large-scale generation, including remote sites.

Icelandic Water Trawlermen's Compensation Scheme

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claimants under the Icelandic water trawlermen's compensation scheme have had payments reduced to take account of previously paid exgratia payments.

Patricia Hewitt: Up to 11 January 2002 there were 2,606.

Icelandic Water Trawlermen's Compensation Scheme

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total amount is which has been deducted from the compensation paid under the Icelandic water trawlermen's compensation scheme as a result of previously paid exgratia payments.

Patricia Hewitt: Up to 11 January 2002 the total amount was £5,887,609.

Launch Aid

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason the conditions attached to the grant of launch aid are deemed commercially confidential.

Brian Wilson: The conditions of Launch Investment are commercially confidential under exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. The disclosure of the terms and conditions of Launch Investment would harm the commercial interests of the companies concerned.

Arms Sales

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the level of debt owing to the United Kingdom by overseas Governments as a result of arms sales for the years 1997 to 2002.

Patricia Hewitt: The table shows future amounts due on guarantees, and unrecovered claims in respect of ECGD guarantees issued in support of defence business during the financial years shown. The year of ECGD guarantee issue does not necessarily reflect the year that the equipment was sold.
	
		£ million 
		
			 Year Future amounts due on guarantees Unrecovered claims 
		
		
			 1997–98 118 5 
			 1998–99 284 0 
			 1999–2000 508 0 
			 2000–01 1,893 0 
			 2001–02(21) 10 0 
			  
			 Total(22) 2,814 5 
		
	
	(21) Pre 1 January 2002
	(22) 1 April 1997 to 1 January 2002

Refurbishment

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of the cost of buildings refurbishment carried out by her Department in each of the last four years.

Patricia Hewitt: The Department has not carried out a full refurbishment of any buildings during the last four years. The capital costs of minor works, redecorations, maintenance and partial refurbishments in these years has been as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year £ million 
		
		
			 1997–98 2.28 
			 1998–99 2.17 
			 1999–2000 2.85 
			 2000–01 2.70

Wind Power

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what landscape criteria she applies in determining applications for wind power stations with an output greater than 50 MW.

Brian Wilson: All relevant criteria set out in planning guidance and environmental assessment guidance are taken into account. The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry also has a duty under Schedule 9 of the Electricity Act 1989 to have regard to the extent to which a person who formulates a proposal has complied with his duty of having regard to the desirability of preserving natural beauty and do what he reasonably can to mitigate any effect the proposal would have on the natural beauty of the countryside. In addition the views of the relevant local planning authority which will be familiar with the local terrain are also taken into account.

Wind Power

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what approvals she has given to wind power stations with an output greater than 50 MW in the last 12 months; and what public consultation was undertaken in each case.

Brian Wilson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has approved in principle the application for a windfarm at Cefn Croes. Formal approval will be issued once the necessary planning conditions and planning obligations have been agreed. The public were consulted on the application and their views were taken into account. There have been no other windfarm approvals.

Wind Power

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the criteria used when deciding whether to erect wind farms apply to the whole of the United Kingdom.

Brian Wilson: Decisions on wind farms or any other type of power station over 50 megawatts in England and Wales are handled by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. In reaching her decision my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for will consider all relevant criteria set out in planning guidance and environmental assessment guidance. Other competent authorities responsible for authorising smaller power stations can be expected to apply similar criteria.
	Applications for power stations in Scotland and Northern Ireland are devolved matters. As a consequence the criteria are a matter for them.

Miners' Compensation

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the money paid out in industrial injuries compensation to former coal miners in the Easington constituency relating to chronic bronchitis and emphysema has been taken back by the compensation recovery scheme.

Brian Wilson: There are 4,763 claims registered for compensation for respiratory disease in the constituency of Easington, to date. 1,227 interim payments have been made and 288 claims have been settled in full. £6.0 million has been paid in damages in this area.
	Compensation recovery legislation ensures that personal injury victims are not compensated twice for the same loss—once by the state and once by the compensator. So far, £82,635.82 has been paid to the Compensation Recovery Unit by the Department of Trade and Industry in respect of claims from Easington. None of this has been reclaimed from claimants' awards.

Miners' Compensation

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the Government have paid in lawyers' fees in respect of miners' compensation in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland since 1997.

Brian Wilson: Since the Department assumed responsibility for British Coal's liabilities in January 1998, payments to solicitors, excluding trial costs, and disbursements total £64.2 million in England, £16.8 million in Wales and £6.3 million in Scotland.

Miners' Compensation

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many former miners in (a) St. Helens, South, (b) Merseyside and (c) England who have submitted compensation claims for (a) vibration white finger and (b) respiratory diseases have attended a medical assessment.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 21 January 2002
	In the time given, the Department is unable to provide a breakdown of claimants in St. Helens, South and Merseyside who have attended medical assessment. However, former miners with respiratory disease in these areas will be advised to go to centres at Wigan, Wrexham and Manchester. Former miners with vibration white finger, VWF, will be advised to go to the centre at Manchester.
	The number of former miners who have undergone medical assessments at the centres mentioned is as follows:
	
		Number of former miners who have been medically assessed
		
			 Centre location Number 
		
		
			 Respiratory disease  
			 Wigan 923 
			 Wrexham 237 
			 Manchester 403 
			 England total 16,841 
			   
			 Vibration white finger, VWF  
			 Manchester 2,318 
			 England total 59,628 
		
	
	Note:
	In addition, 23,508 claims by the estates of former miners have also been assessed. It is not possible to break down these figures by region.

Miners' Compensation

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average waiting time for former miners for a medical assessment appointment is in (a) St. Helens, South, (b) Merseyside and (c) England in connection with a claim for (i) vibration white finger and (ii) respiratory diseases.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 21 January 2002
	In relation to vibration white finger, VWF, the occupation group must first be identified before medical assessment can be made. The time from confirmation of occupation group to MAP appointment is as follows:
	
		
			 Region Time to MAP as defined (days) 
		
		
			 (a) St. Helens, South 38 
			 (b) Merseyside 40 
			 (c) England 67 
		
	
	Before a claimant can attend an appointment to undergo the Medical Assessment Process, MAP, for compensation for respiratory disease, the recovery of the claimant's medical records must first be completed. Appointments are then made, with the most elderly and ill claimants receiving priority. Low priority claimants will not have an appointment booked if a higher priority claimant is available. In the time given, the Department is unable to provide an average timescale for the time from completion of records recovery to MAP appointment for England, but, given the comparatively small numbers of claims in these areas, a breakdown for St. Helens, South and Merseyside has been possible and is given in the table. The claims have been split into two categories for purpose of analysis:
	
		
			Merseyside St. Helens, South 
		
		
			 Category 1 claimants(23)   
			 Number of claimants 430 186 
			 Average waiting time (days) 63 66 
			 Category 2 claimants(24)   
			 Number of claimants 16 5 
			 Average waiting time (days) 38 39 
		
	
	(23) Claims which have been assessed
	(24) Claims which are un-assessed but with a future booked appointment

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which solicitors are charging both the client and the Government for their services in dealing with the claims from miners suffering from respiratory diseases and vibration white finger.

Brian Wilson: Solicitors are under strict professional and legal duties to inform their clients of the basis on which work is carried out, including the fee structure (Solicitors' Practice Rules 1990 and Solicitors' Costs Information and Client Care Code 1999). The Department has no sight of, or influence over, terms and conditions that claimants enter into with solicitors. It is the Department's view that, because it is covering solicitors' costs, the claimants should not be asked to make any payment towards costs.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what advice is being given to ex-miners about Government's payments to solicitors for each miner's compensation claim.

Brian Wilson: Solicitors are under strict professional and legal duties to inform their clients of the basis on which work is carried out, including the fee structure (Solicitors' Practice Rules 1990 and Solicitors' Costs Information and Client Care Code 1999). The mining unions are also well aware that the Department covers solicitors' costs and will no doubt advise their members accordingly. The Department has made public on many occasions that claimants should not have to make a payment towards solicitors costs.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which 12 solicitors handle the largest number of compensation claims for miners suffering from respiratory disorders and vibration white finger.

Brian Wilson: The 12 firms dealing with the largest numbers of respiratory disease and vibration white finger claims listed alphabetically are:
	1. Browell Smith and Co.
	2. Furley Page Fielding
	3. Graysons
	4. Hugh James
	5. Irwin Mitchells
	6. Mark Gilbert Morse
	7. O. H. Parsons
	8. Raleys
	9. Thompsons
	10. Towells
	11. Watson Burton
	12. Randell Saunders.
	These solicitors and their contact details are listed on the Department's website at www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what statutory requirement there is for (a) claims handling companies and (b) solicitors to advise clients that the Government have an agreed handling fee for miners' compensation claims.

Brian Wilson: Claims handling companies are unregulated and are not subject to the same duties as solicitors. Solicitors are under strict professional and legal duties to inform their clients of the basis on which work is carried out, including the fee structure (Solicitors; practice Rules 1990 and Solicitors; Costs Information and Client Care Code 1999). This would include the liability of any other party, in this case the Department, to meet the claimants' costs.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many solicitors are dealing with miners' compensation claims for respiratory diseases and vibration white finger.

Brian Wilson: In relation to respiratory disease, there are approximately 270 firms dealing with compensation claims and about 210 firms processing vibration white finger claims. These are listed with contact details on the Department's website at www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth.

Miners' Pension Fund

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of former miners who were working in Staffordshire in the 1980s lost their jobs but were not entitled payments from the pension fund.

Brian Wilson: None. All former British Coal miners when reaching pensionable age, whether dismissed or not, are entitled to the pension benefits they have accrued whilst in employment.
	I announced on 11 December that certain miners dismissed during the 1984–85 strike, would receive an enhancement to their pension in recognition of the years of further service they lost as a result of British Coal's decision not to re-employ them.

Hawk Jets

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the Indian Government concerning the BAE Systems bid to supply Hawk jets; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has had no discussions with the Indian Government concerning the BAE Systems bid to supply Hawk jets.

Landscape Industry

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she supports the aims of the British Association of Landscape Industries to get their registration of landscape operatives affiliated to the Construction Industry Certification Scheme.

Brian Wilson: holding answer 18 January 2002
	The question of possible affiliation between the two schemes is one for the Board of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme Ltd. to consider, together with managers of the British Association of Landscape Industries' scheme.
	However, given my ministerial responsibility for construction, I do welcome all efforts aimed at achieving greater collaboration in the industry with a view to improving standards of health and safety, and training standards generally. I am also keen that, wherever possible, the industry improves its working practices to allow greater flexibility for those that move between different sectors in the industry.
	I understand that discussions are taking place between the Chairman of CSCS Ltd., Anthony W. Merricks CBE, and the Vice Chair of BALI, David Spencer. If a satisfactory solution can be reached, and I understand that discussions are proceeding in a positive way, this would be welcomed.

Sub-post Offices

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the progress made on the roll-out of "Your Guide" to sub-post offices.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 18 January 2002
	My Department has provided £25 million funding for the pilot of "Your Guide" currently operating in Leicestershire and Rutland. The pilot was fully up and running by the end of August last year and will finish on 1 March this year. The results of the pilot will be fully evaluated and decisions on national roll-out will be based on the findings of the evaluation and on further work on funding and service design. Among other things the evaluation and associated work will establish the costs of implementing a "Your Guide" scheme nationally and will compare these with the benefits. Work on evaluating the pilot has already begun and a full evaluation should be completed by the end of June. Work on funding and the design of a national service will be progressed as far as possible in parallel with evaluation of the pilot so that firm decisions on a national scheme can be taken next autumn.

Oil and Gas Directorate Posts

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of her Department's Oil and Gas Directorate posts were in (a) Aberdeen, (b) Glasgow, (c) London and (d) elsewhere, in 2001.

Brian Wilson: The number of Oil and Gas Directorate posts located in (a) Aberdeen, (b) Glasgow, (c) London and (d) elsewhere, in 2001 is as follows:
	2001
	Aberdeen—84.5
	Glasgow—0
	London—96.6
	Elsewhere—0.
	This represents an increase of 12.2 posts in Aberdeen, and a decrease of 7.2 posts in London compared with the previous year.

Overhead Transmission Lines

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent changes she has made to her policy on overhead transmission lines.

Brian Wilson: None.

Overhead Transmission Lines

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she has taken to ensure that contractors working on the Lackenby to Shipton overhead transmission line will comply with legal and safety requirements.

Brian Wilson: The relevant local planning authority is responsible for seeing that planning conditions are complied with. The enforcement of other statutory requirements falls to the relevant agencies.

Electromagnetic Fields

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the World Health Organisation's policy of prudent avoidance to exposure to electromagnetic fields; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: The World Health Organisation, in its publication "Electromagnetic Fields and Public Health—Extremely low frequency fields and cancer", Fact Sheet No. 263, October 2001, refers to certain precautionary measures that can be taken by Government, industry and individuals. Several of these measures are already in place in the UK.

Regional Development Agencies (Partnership)

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many sub-regional partnerships of regional development agencies are being established; and how many are business led.

Alan Johnson: Sixty-one sub-regional economic partnerships are either already in existence or are currently being established with the help of the regional development agencies. The RDAs will be working closely with the partnerships to deliver the regions' economic strategies. The majority are chaired by business people or have substantial business involvement in their boards, but all are expected to be fully representative of the public and private sectors.

Energy Sources

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her Department's targets are for (a) the proportion of the national energy portfolio that will be met by renewable sources by 2010 and (b) the proportion of nationally generated renewable energy sources that will be derived from onshore wind power generation by the same date.

Brian Wilson: Our target is that, by 2010, 10 per cent. of UK electricity sales by licensed suppliers will come from sources eligible for the Renewables Obligation. This is subject to the cost to consumers being acceptable.
	While wind energy at both onshore and offshore installation can be expected to contribute significantly to the achievement of this overall target, the Government do not set targets for growth in each type of renewable energy generation. How each type will contribute to overall targets for renewable energy will be a matter for the market.

Your Guide Scheme

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the expected time scale is for implementing the "Your Guide" scheme throughout the post office and sub-post office network; what the cost will be of implementing the scheme throughout the network; and what the average cost to each sub-post office business of introducing terminals to the "Your Guide" system will be.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 21 January 2002
	My Department has provided £25 million funding for the pilot of "Your Guide" currently operating in Leicestershire and Rutland. The pilot was fully up and running by the end of August last year and is not due to finish until 1 March this year. The results of the pilot will be fully evaluated and decisions on national roll-out will be based on the findings of the evaluation and on further work on funding and service design. Among other things the evaluation and associated work will establish the costs of implementing a "Your Guide" scheme nationally and will compare these with the benefits. Until work on the design of a national service is further advanced it will not be possible to estimate the cost of providing the necessary equipment to individual sub-post offices.
	A full evaluation of the pilot should be completed by the end of June. Work on funding and the design of a national service will be progressed alongside evaluation of the pilot so that firm decisions on a national scheme can be taken next autumn.

Environmental Appraisals

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many officials from her Department have attended the Environmental Appraisal and Integration into Policy training course run by the Civil Service College.

Brian Wilson: holding answer 21 January 2002
	None.

Environmental Appraisals

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many environmental appraisals have been published by her Department since 1 January 2001; and if she will list the last four.

Brian Wilson: holding answer 21 January 2002
	None. The last four self-standing environmental appraisals published by DTI are as follows:
	Enterprise, Skills and Innovation White Paper (February 2001)
	UK Coal Operating Aid Scheme (December 2000)
	Modernising the Framework of Utility Regulation (January and April 2000)
	The New Electricity Trading Arrangements (October 1999).

Environmental Appraisals

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what procedures her Department has to ensure environmental appraisals are undertaken prior to (a) administrative and (b) policy decisions being made.

Brian Wilson: holding answer 21 January 2002
	DTI's aim is to mainstream the environment—within the wider context of promoting sustainable development—into the Department's operational management and policy-making.
	To this end, DTI's Estates and Management Facilities Directorate run an Environmental Managements System accredited to ISO 14001 covering DTI's HQ buildings. This incorporates monitoring, control and regular audits to ensure the continued effectiveness of the system and to track progress towards targets.
	The effectiveness of DTI's procedures for environmental screening and appraisal of policies were reviewed last year by a member of the Foresight Environmental Appraisal Task Force and the Department's Internal Audit. Revised guidelines are being finalised which will be published on DTI's website.

Environmental Appraisals

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the last occasion was on which she requested an environmental appraisal before making a policy decision.

Brian Wilson: holding answer 21 January 2002
	Where environmental considerations are relevant they form an integral part of policy advice to Ministers.

Departmental Spending Review

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans her Department has to appraise the environmental implications of its spending review submission to the Treasury.

Brian Wilson: holding answer 21 January 2002
	In line with HM Treasury's guidelines, DTI will submit a Sustainable Development report (SDR) in which the Department will explain the sustainable development implications of the Department's proposals. As part of the spending review, the Department will also consider how its PSA targets relate to sustainable development and summarise how sustainable development has influenced the Department's priorities.

Export Credits

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her answer of 17 December 2001, Official Report, column 103W, on the Export Credits Guarantees Department, what estimate she has made of the savings produced by refinancing; over what period of time she expects these to be realised and under which Vote; and if she will make a statement.

Nigel Griffiths: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 18 January 2002, Official Report, column 508W.

Export Credits

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the objections made by the Export Credits Guarantee Department to US proposals on greater transparency at the recently concluded OECD negotiations on common approaches to officially supported export credits and the environment.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 22 January 2002
	At the June 2001 meeting of the OECD Export Credit Group the USA rejected latest proposals of the common approaches recommendation as they did not "require" Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) to make public environmental impact information relating to projects being reviewed by ECAs before the ECA reaches its decision on supporting a project.
	ECGD would have been content to discuss this issue further and was successful with its proposal that the following wording should be included:
	"Members are expected to encourage project sponsors to make environmental impact information publicly available".
	Several of the country representatives stated that their domestic legislation prevented their ECA from making publicly available any information concerning applications for support. Several more made it clear that, at this stage, they could not consider publishing any information "prior" to making their decision on support. It was therefore apparent that a consensus could not have been achieved.
	Given the significance of the issues that could be agreed and the commitment to review the agreement by the end of 2003
	"to enhance it in the light of experience", ECGD concluded that this agreement was a good first step in order to cement the progress made.
	ECGD will be consulting about the timing of the publication of EIAs in early 2002 as part of its review of its "Impact Questionnaire" and associated case impact analysis process.

Export Credits

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will place in the Library a list of the (a) projects and (b) companies supported by the Export Credits Guarantee Department since 1 January 2001.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 22 January 2002
	A list of guarantees issued in the financial year 2000–01 was provided in ECGD's annual report and resource Accounts 2000–01 and is shown in the table. Details of overseas investment insurance and other insurances are treated as commercial-in-confidence by ECGD and are thus not given here. ECGD requires exporters' consent to publish guarantee details and will be writing after the end of this financial year to seek this consent for guarantees issued in 2001–02.
	
		
			 Market  Exporter Buyer/airline/operating lessor Project 
		
		
			 Austria Airbus Industrie Austrian Airlines Airbus Aircraft 
			 Azerbaijan Rolls Royce Azerbaijan Hava Yollari Aero Engines 
			 Bahrain Airbus Industrie Gulf Air Company GSC Airbus Aircraft 
			 Barbados Angloco Ltd. Ministry of Finance & Economic Affairs, Barbados Fire Engines 
			 Barbados NSG Exports Ltd. Government of Barbados Public Service Vehicles 
			 Brazil Airbus Industrie TAM Airbus Aircraft 
			 Brazil Fairbank Brearley Ltd. Metallugica Tuzzi Ltda. Hydraulic Machinery 
			 Brazil VAI Industries (UK) Ltd. CIA Siderurgica Tubaro (CST) Steel Mill 
			 Brazil VAI Industries (UK) Ltd. Companahia Siderugica Nacional (CSN) Rebuild of Blast Furnace 
			 Canada Airbus Industrie Air Canada Airbus Aircraft 
			 Chile Airbus Industrie Lanchile Airbus Aircraft 
			 China Airbus Industrie China Eastern Airlines Airbus Aircraft 
			 Croatia Aeromatic-Fielder Ltd. Pliva DD Pharmaceutical Production Line 
			 Croatia Airbus Industrie Croatia Airlines Airbus Aircraft 
			 Dominica Carillion Construction (West Indies) Ltd. Ministry of Finance, Dominica Construction of Building 
			 Dominican Rep Motherwell Bridge Engineering Ltd. CESPM San Pedro Power Project 
			 El Salvador Airbus Industrie TACA International Airlines Airbus Aircraft 
			 Finland Airbus Industrie Finnair Airbus Aircraft 
			 Hong Kong Airbus Industrie Dragonair Airbus Aircraft 
			 Hong Kong Airbus Industrie Cathay Pacific Aiways Ltd. Airbus Aircraft 
			 Hong Kong Dennis Specialist Vehicles Ltd. Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1993) Ltd. Buses 
			 Hong Kong Volvo Bus Exports (UK) Ltd. Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1993) Ltd. Buses 
			 Iceland Rolls Royce Icelandair Aero Engines 
			 India Kier International Ltd. Dabhol Power Company Port Development 
			 Iran Cementation Skanska National Iranian Steel Corporation Ltd. Coal Mine 
			 Jamaica Kier/ Mabey (Kingston) Joint Venture Ministry of Transport and Works, Jamaica Flyover Bridges 
			 Kazakhstan Fitzpatrick Contractors Ltd. Agency for Health Care Hospital 
			 Malaysia Air Products plc Petroliam Nasional Berhad Supplies for Gas Plants 
			 Malaysia Air Products plc Petroliam Nasional Berhad Supplies for Gas Plants 
			 Mexico Alstom Power UK Ltd. PEMEX Gas Turbines & Associated Equipment 
			 Mexico European Marine Contractors Ltd. PEMEX Pipeline Installation 
			 Mexico Gall Thomson Environmental plc PEMEX Anti-Pollution Couplings 
			 Mexico Howden Power Ltd. Comision Federal de Electricdad Power Station Air Pre-Heater Enhancements 
			 Netherlands Airbus Industrie Aerfi Airbus Aircraft 
			 Netherlands Airbus Industrie Premiair A/S Airbus Aircraft 
			 Oman Weir Westgarth Ltd. Ministry of Electricity and Water, Oman Desalination Plant 
			 Philippines The Balfour-Cleveland Consortium Department of Public Works and Highways, Philippines Bridging Components 
			 Philippines Mabey & Johnson Government of the Republic of the Philippines Steel Bridging 
			 Republic of Korea Airbus Industrie Korean Airlines Airbus Aircraft 
			 Singapore Airbus Industrie SALE Airbus Aircraft 
			 South Africa BAE Systems Government of South Africa Trainer/ Fighter Aircraft 
			 Sri Lanka Airbus Industrie Sri Lankan Airlines Ltd. Airbus Aircraft 
			 Switzerland Airbus Industrie Flightlease Airbus Aircraft 
			 Turkey Airbus Industrie Turkish Airlines Airbus Aircraft 
			 Turkey Alstom Power UK Ltd. AK Enerji Gas Turbine Generators 
			 Turkey Battenfield Gloucester Europe Ltd. Onur Kimya AS Food Packaging Plant 
			 Turkey Corus UK Ltd. Turkey Electricity Generation & Transmission Corp. Steel Products for Thermal Power Plant 
			 Turkey Gateway (Textiles) Ltd. Alkan Yatak Yorgan ve San Tic STL Mattress Machinery 
			 Turkey Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. Tubitak-Bilten Micro Satellite 
			 Turkey York International Ltd. Ulusal Finansal Kiralma AS Airconditioning Equipment 
			 United Arab Emirates Airbus Industrie Emirates Airbus Aircraft 
			 United States Airbus Industrie ILFC Airbus Aircraft 
			 United States Airbus Industrie GECAS Airbus Aircraft 
			 United States Airbus Industrie CIT Airbus Aircraft

Export Credits

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make environmental and social impact assessments of the Yusefeli Dam available for public discussion before a final decision is taken on extending export credit support to Amec.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 22 January 2002
	An Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) has been conducted and we expect that a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) will also be produced. Prior to making any final decision for ECGD support, the Government would need to be satisfied that such reports have taken into account best international practice.
	The EIAR is not the property of the UK Government, and its release by ECGD would require the consent of the party who has supplied it to ECGD. Such considerations would also apply to the RAP when that document is produced in due course.

Export Credits

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Export Credits Guarantee Department will take to implement the recommendation for public discussion contained in the OECD agreement on common approaches to officially supported export credits and the environment.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The recommendations for public discussion in the Common Approaches on Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits are:
	"Members are expected to:
	Publish national ECA environmental statements/principles and procedural guidance. ECGD published its "Statement of Business Principles" in December 2000. A "Case Handling Process—Information Note" and the "Impact Questionnaire" were placed on ECGD's website in January 2001.
	When appropriate, exchange views with stakeholders. ECGD consulted stakeholders during the development of the "Statement of Business Principles" and is about to launch a formal review of the "Impact Questionnaire" and the case impact analysis process.
	Encourage project sponsors to make environmental impact information publicly available. For greenfield projects in sensitive sectors or locations ECGD normally expects an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be carried out. Best practice for EIAs includes consultation with the affected communities and in many counties the EIA legislation requires this. ECGD expects project developers to take account of best practice in the preparation of EIAs.
	Make available to the public at least annually, subject to legal provisions on public disclosure in members' countries, information on projects classified in Categories A and B. ECGD's latest annual report contains details of all the guarantees issued, irrespective of environmental category, during the financial year 2000–01. It is intended to provide this information, on a quarterly basis, on the ECGD website during 2002".

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what equipment has been stolen from her Department since 1 May 1997; and what the approximate value of each item was.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The Department of Trade and Industry holds this information in respect of IT equipment only. Other stolen items are recorded on its log of missing items and to extract and list only those items which have been stolen would incur disproportionate costs. The list of stolen IT equipment is as follows:
	
		
			 Date Description Value (£) 
		
		
			 20 May 1997 Laptop 2,000 
			 22 May 1997 Laptop 3,000 
			 6 June 1997 Laptop 2,000 
			 16 June 1997 Laptop 2,000 
			 21 August 1997 Modem 300 
			 2 September 1997 Modem 250 
			 27 September 1997 Laptop 1,500 
			 14 November 1997(25) Network analyser 2,500 
			 8 December 1997(25) Laptop 1,500 
			 15 December 1997 Video projector 6,000 
			 18 December 1997 Psion 300 
			 9 January 1998 Monitor 300 
			 19 January 1998 PC base unit 1,000 
			 10 February 1998 Laptop 1,000 
			 31 March 1998 PC base unit 1,000 
			 1 May 1998 Server 1,500 
			 13 May 1998 Two printers 267 
			 9 June 1998 Laptop, printer 3,000 
			 9 October 1998 Laptop 1,500 
			 13 November 1998 Laptop 1,500 
			 16 November 1998 Answerphone 50 
			 1 February 1999 Answerphone 50 
			 23 February 1999 Laptop 300 
			 16 March 1999 Laptop 1,810 
			 22 March 1999 Printer 167 
			 22 March 1999 Printer 300 
			 25 March 1999 Video camera 172 
			 24 June 1999 PC 600 
			 8 July 1999 Psion 300 
			 10 August 1999 PC 1,200 
			 21 October 1999 Laptop 2,356 
			 1 November 1999 Laptop 700 
			 3 November 1999 Modem 250 
			 29 November 1999 Ethernet hub 300 
			 13 December 1999 PC 1,700 
			 10 January 2000 Laptop 2,300 
			 26 July 2000 Two laptops 2,800 
			 19 February 2001 Mobile phone 50 
			 14 March 2001 Laptop 1,400 
			 10 December 2001 Flat screen 536 
			 21 December 2001 Flat screen 536 
			 27 December 2001 Flat screen 734 
		
	
	(25) Estimated value
	
		Unitas report for 1 April 2001 to date
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 Five MURA laptops 9,315 
			 One other laptop 1,700 
			 Three PCs 3,450 
			 Flat screen 361

Computer Usage

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what controls exist in respect of (a) the placement of cookies on websites and (b) the use of such cookies to monitor the computer usage of individuals.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 22 January 2002
	Where the use of cookies by website operators involves the processing of personal data, they are subject to control under the Data Protection Act 1998. Website operators are required to ensure that users are aware who is processing such data and why, and give them an opportunity to refuse.
	There are proposals for further regulation of the placement and use of cookies in the proposed communications data protection and privacy directive, which is currently under negotiation. A draft provision agreed by member states at the Telecoms Council on 6 December would extend the requirement to provide information and an opportunity to refuse to cookies which do not involve the processing of personal data.

Manufacturing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of net changes in manufacturing employment in the UK over the last 12 months; and what projection her Department has made of expected changes in manufacturing employment between January and December 2002.

Brian Wilson: The number of manufacturing employee jobs stood at 3,760,000 in November 2001, a fall of 153,000 jobs on a year earlier. The Government do not forecast levels of employment.

Cashpoints

David Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many ATMs were installed in sub-post offices in each month from July 2001 to date; what the take up rate by sub-post offices is of offers to install ATMs; what percentage of the total number of ATMs installed at sub-post offices are accessible outside trading hours; and what the scale of charges levied on customers using ATMs is at (a) sub-post offices and (b) Crown post offices.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 23 January 2002
	Decisions relating to ATMs are a commercial matter for Post Office Ltd. who tell me that the number of ATMs installed were:
	
		
			   Number of ATMs 
		
		
			 July 2001 9 
			 August 2001 17 
			 September 2001 11 
			 October 2001 59 
			 November 2001 121 
			 December 2001 212 
		
	
	There are 858 ATMs operating in the network and machine providers have indicated an interest in installation at some 7,500 further outlets, subject to survey.
	The majority of ATMs are being installed at sub-post offices which are convenience stores or newsagents with extended trading hours from early morning to 10 pm.
	Wherever possible Post Office Ltd. prefer to install a machine without transaction charges but, particularly in small and remote locations, installation is not viable for the machine provider unless a convenience fee is levied. In these cases the customer is advised of the charge and has the ability not to proceed with the transaction should they so decide.

Cashpoints

David Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements have been made for maintaining, servicing and stocking ATMs installed at sub-post offices and at whose cost; what payment is made to sub-post masters per ATM transaction; and what assessment has been made of the additional net income generated by ATMs to sub-post masters as a proportion of average income.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 23 January 2002
	Decisions relating to ATMs are a commercial matter for Post Office Ltd. who tell me that maintenance arrangements vary according to the type of ATM machine and the provider of the machine. However, all technical servicing is undertaken by the machine's provider. In the more remote locations some maintenance and stocking of cash is carried out by the sub-postmaster. Payment for sub-postmasters is based on transaction volumes and in some cases a fixed sum up to a transaction volume threshold. No assessment has been made of additional income generated for sub-postmasters by ATM machines; Post Office Ltd. is not party to the retail trading performance of individual sub-postmasters.

Coal Health Claims Schemes

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the procedure is for establishing a compensation claimant under the coal health claims schemes as being a priority case.

Patricia Hewitt: The Department and claimants' solicitors have agreed a priority points system which is set out in the Handling Agreement. Claimants with higher points will have greater priority.
	There are predominantly two stages of prioritisation in respect of living former miners claiming compensation for respiratory disease:
	A. Claimants undergoing screening spirometry;
	B. Claimants proceeding through the medical assessment process, MAP, after lung function testing. A. Screening Spirometry
	Three factors are taken into account as follows:
	(1) age of claimant;
	(2) date of receipt of claim;
	(3) short life expectancy (as recorded by the GP).
	Points are allocated for short life expectancy if IRISC, the Department's claims handlers, receive written confirmation from the claimant's GP that the claimant has a life expectancy of less than two years. The age of the claimant and any short life expectancy are considered to be more important factors than the date of claim and, accordingly, are weighted more heavily in the points system. B. Claimants proceeding through the medical assessment process, MAP, after lung function testing
	Further points are awarded on the basis of a claimant's spirometry test result to a maximum of 150. Claimants who are unable, for medical reasons, to produce a spirometry result, will receive points in lieu of those that would otherwise have been awarded after spirometry testing.
	Deceased mineworkers
	With regard to deceased mineworkers, these claims will be processed by a paper-based assessment with priority being given to widows. Points are awarded according to the age of claim and any short life expectancy of the widow.
	Presently, the Department is processing claims as set out in the Handling Agreement with the most elderly and ill being dealt with first. Widows are also being dealt with as a priority.
	It should be noted that prioritisation does not override geographical variations in the availability of resources for live claims. All available resources will be used to the maximum even though claimants based in one area may be tested or examined ahead of someone with a higher priority score in another.

Miners Pension Surpluses

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made on her Department's review of the distribution of miners' pension surpluses.

Patricia Hewitt: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley, Central (Mr. Illsley) on 17 January 2002, Official Report, column 403W.

Land Rover

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement about the employment situation in the west midlands, with special reference to Land Rover.

Alan Johnson: The latest labour force survey data shows that there were 2,505,000 people resident in the west midlands who were in employment in the period September to November 2001. This represented an increase of 30,000 or 1.2 per cent. on the previous three-month period and an increase of 42,000 or 1.6 per cent. on the equivalent period a year earlier.
	Land Rover employ a total of around 12,000 people in the west midlands. With regard to the current situation between Land Rover and KPMG (administrative receivers to UPF Group) both parties are in urgent negotiations to resolve their differences. We hope that a satisfactory solution is found that safeguards security of supply to Land Rover and also enables the UPF business to be sold as a going concern. DTI continues to remain in contact with all the key players but essentially this is a commercial matter for Land Rover and KPMG.

Sellafield

Nick Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the security of nuclear materials stored at the Sellafield reprocessing plant.

Patricia Hewitt: All aspects of required security arrangements for nuclear materials stored at the Sellafield reprocessing plant are kept under continuing review by the Director of Civil Nuclear Security, the security regulator. Stringent security measures apply at all civil nuclear sites including Sellafield. It is not Government policy to disclose details of security measures taken at civil nuclear sites.

Post Offices

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what discussions she has held with Consignia concerning the possible closure of post offices; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent guidance she has given Consignia concerning the closure of urban post offices.

Patricia Hewitt: The Government have agreed in principle to support the compensation package negotiated between Post Office Ltd. and the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters for a restructuring of the urban post office network. Where appropriate, compensation will be made available to sub-postmasters affected. Detailed discussions continue on the programme.

Post Offices

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will ensure that Consignia's proposals for possible post office closures are made public.

Patricia Hewitt: The programme to restructure the urban post office network will be taken forward in consultation with individual sub-postmasters, the local community and Postwatch. To ensure that post offices meet the high expectations of customers and are in the right locations for their communities, the programme will be carefully tailored to the circumstances of each locality.

Gas Transportation Tariffs

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether she raised the effect of gas transportation tariffs on Northern Ireland when she met representatives of Centrica on 6 December 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: I met representatives of Centrica on 6 December 2001 when we discussed a number of issues in confidence and, under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, it would be inappropriate to go into detail.
	Gas is transported to Northern Ireland under the terms of a commercial contract. This contract is a matter for the parties involved.

HEALTH

Digital Hearing Aids

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have to increase the availability of digital hearing aids.

Jacqui Smith: We announced the modernising hearing aids services project in October 2000. Since then, to the end of December 2001, 19,368 digital aids had been fitted, 19,353 adult patients had been assessed and 14,856 adult patients fitted. By the end of March, we expect to have fitted over 18,000 patients.
	I announced on 24 December 2001 that a further £20 million would be made available in 2002–03 so that a further 30 national health service sites can join the modernising hearing aids project during that year. Decisions on which sites will become involved in the project next year will be made shortly.
	The Institute of Hearing Research is evaluating the project, and its findings will help planning of the wider availability of changes in hearing aid services, which include the provision of digital hearing aids, to all NHS audiology departments.
	In the meantime, all NHS trusts with the ability, in terms of staff, training, equipment and experience, to provide digital hearing aids, are able to apply for access to a favourable contract for supply of digital hearing aids.

Hospital Admissions

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were waiting for admission to hospitals, including suspended patients but not including self-deferred cases, in (a) England and (b) each NHS trust in England in the year ending 31 March.

John Hutton: The number of in-patients waiting for treatment and the number of patients suspended from the waiting list at end March 2001 is given in the table, which has been placed in the Library.

Patient Choice

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to impose (a) geographical and (b) financial limits on the ability of patients to have greater choice over the location of their hospital treatment;
	(2)  what elements of provision he envisaged constituting plurality of provision; and what proportion of each of those elements he envisaged in the final state of plurality he is aiming for as referred to in his speech to the Fabian Society;
	(3)  what expansion of capacity is required to enable patients to have a choice of hospital for treatment;
	(4)  how he intends to enable patients to have the choice of access to a local hospital as referred to in his speech to the Fabian Society; and what definition of local he uses in this context.

John Hutton: On 6 December 2001, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced proposals to give patients choice over where they are treated in the national health service.
	From July 2002, all patients who have been waiting more than six months for heart surgery will be offered a choice of treatment at another NHS hospital; a hospital in the private sector; or possibly a hospital abroad. Patients opting to stay with their current hospital will do so on the basis that they will wait no more than 12 months in total there.
	By 2005, all patients and their general practitioners will be able to book hospital appointments at both a time and place that is convenient to the patient.
	Proposals to increase the capacity of the NHS are set out in the NHS Plan. The proposals to increase choice are set out in the discussion paper "Extending Choice for Patients", copies of which are available in the Library.

Patient Choice

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what IT changes will be required to enable patients to have information about the choices open to them described in the Secretary of State's speech to the Fabian Society;
	(2)  what IT changes will be required to enable general practitioners to act as the navigators referred to in the Secretary of State's speech to the Fabian Society;
	(3)  what IT investment will be required to allow general practitioners to offer patients hospital treatment at a time and place convenient to them.

John Hutton: An outline business case (OBC) has been developed, proposing a framework for implementing electronic booking systems. The OBC can be found at: www.doh.gov.uk/nhsplanbookingsystems/.
	The framework was developed in consultation with stakeholders. It is based around local health communities and will allow them to implement locally based solutions within a consistent common national framework. It builds on the national information and information technology infrastructure.
	Information on the estimated IT investment to implement electronic booking systems is in the OBC.

East Cheshire Hospice

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was provided by the NHS to the East Cheshire Hospice in each of the last 10 years.

Yvette Cooper: South Cheshire health authority funding for East Cheshire Hospice for the past six years (since the creation of the health authority) is as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 1995–96 279 
			 1996–97 248 
			 1997–98 253 
			 1998–99 262 
			 1999–2000 272 
			 2000–01 282 
		
	
	The figures exclude the cost of drugs, which is also funded by South Cheshire health authority. Last year this was approximately £50,000 but the amount can vary year to year depending on requirements.

NHS Magazine Website

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost is of maintaining the NHS Magazine website per annum.

Hazel Blears: The NHS Magazine online was started in February 2001. It had set-up costs of £5,875 and has running costs of £51,000 a year. NHS Magazine online carries all the content of NHS Magazine plus two extra features and twice-weekly news updates for NHS staff.

Redwood Unit

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the ratio of public to private staff is for work carried out at the Redwood unit on behalf of the NHS;
	(2)  if NHS patients treated at the Redwood hospital in Redhill will be given the same level of facilities as private patients treated there.

John Hutton: The detailed arrangements for operation of the BUPA Redwood facility as a diagnostic and treatment centre for national health service patients are currently in development between BUPA and the Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. It is not possible to say at this stage what the ratio of public to private staff will be or how the facilities will be used for NHS patients. This information will be made available prior to commencement of the new arrangements. Human Resource issues are of paramount importance in the development of this concept, and the trust will be working closely with the Department to ensure that the most appropriate arrangements are agreed.
	We are also committed to ensuring that NHS patients treated at BUPA Redwood receive a high standard of treatment.

GPs

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on expenditure on reviewing of out-patient appointments by general practitioners in the last 12 months.

John Hutton: Out-patient appointments are routinely reviewed to ensure that all patients on the waiting list still require appointments. Some general practitioners, in partnership with national health service trusts, assist in validating out-patient lists in this way. Arrangements for doing this are made at local level.
	Data are not collected on the cost to GPs of carrying out this validation.

Departmental Sickness Absence

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission and publish an independent report on the reasons for the level of sickness absence in his Department.

Hazel Blears: The Cabinet Office already commissions and publishes an independent annual report "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service". The report includes details of the causes of absenteeism. The report for the year 2000 will be published shortly.

Departmental Sickness Absence

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many days were lost through sickness absence in his Department in each of the last four years.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Average(26) days lost per employee through sickness -- (per staff year)
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1997 7.8 
			 1998 (27)9.2 
			 1999 6.6 
			 2000 not yet published 
		
	
	(26) Working days absences exclude weekends and bank holidays for staff working a 'Monday to Friday' week.
	(27) Based on pre-audit data and methodology. In 1998 Civil Service departments and agencies undertook an audit of their monitoring systems following the "Working Well Together" report. The re-worked figures were not submitted in time for publication of the 1998 report and unadjusted figures were published in this year.
	Source:
	Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service BMI Health Services report (1997 Table I, 1998 Table K) and Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service BIOSS report Table H (1999)

Family Pharmacies

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department is doing to safeguard local family pharmacies; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Our programme for pharmacy in the national health service is set out in "Pharmacy in the Future—Implementing the NHS Plan", a copy of which is available in the Library. We are committed to continuing to ensure ready access to community pharmacies throughout the country. Special arrangements are in place to support pharmacies which dispense relatively few prescriptions, but which are more than one kilometre from the next pharmacy. These may qualify for subsidy payments under the Essential Small Pharmacies Scheme to bring their income from NHS services up to a target level.

Patient Telephone System

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of privately provided patient telephone systems charge premium rates for incoming calls; and what guidance has been given on the provision of these services to trusts.

Hazel Blears: Of the 59 schemes currently installed and operating in the national health service, 56 are with the two firms that charge full premium rate.
	The model concession agreement includes an agreed pricing structure covering all the services provided. All the licensees have declared their policy structure over the period of the contract and the patient power steering group, led by NHS Estates, has agreed the proposals. These represent the maximum the licensee can charge. There are provisions within the agreement for local negotiation.
	We are working with suppliers to continually improve the service, including incoming call charges.

Infertility Treatment

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the review of infertility treatment available across the NHS will be published by NICE; and how long the review has taken to date.

Yvette Cooper: Following an announcement of a new clinical guideline work programme, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence draws up a timetable for each guideline. The commencement of work on individual guidelines is staged according to available capacity in the institute's collaborating centres. The collaborating centre on women's and children's health is about to begin the development of the infertility guideline. I understand that the development of a clinical guideline usually takes up to two years.

Blood Donors

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  for what reason identity cards given to blood donors are not recognised in areas other than where they are issued;
	(2)  what measures his Department will implement to introduce a national blood donor register that enables blood donor identity cards to be recognised throughout the UK.

Yvette Cooper: Three National Blood Service (NBS) databases of blood donor details covering London and the south east, the midlands and the south west and the north and north Wales were established reflecting the original NBS zonal structure. Donors are currently unable to use their identity card outside the region served by their database. However, they can still give blood in another region if they register as a new donor.
	The NBS plan to introduce a national donor register from April 2004. This will enable donors to use their identity card in any NBS session in England and north Wales. There are no plans to integrate the registers for the four United Kingdom blood services.

Air Pollution

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of (a) deaths of vulnerable people, (b) hospital admissions and (c) readmissions in the Buckinghamshire health authority area in the last 12 months, which may be associated with (i) short and (ii) long term air pollution.

Hazel Blears: The Buckinghamshire health authority have no patients classified on admission or death under the International Classification of Diseases code z58.1 (exposure to air pollution).

Two Shires Ambulance NHS Trust

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether Two Shires Ambulance NHS trust met its performance targets for responding to (a) Category A and (b) Category B/C emergency calls in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many emergency calls were received (a) in the UK and (b) in Two Shires Ambulance NHS trust area in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: Information about the number of emergency calls and the proportion of emergency calls resulting in an ambulance arriving at the scene of a reported incident within the Government's target response time, for both the Two Shires Ambulance national health service trust and all other ambulance trusts in England, is contained in the Department of Health Statistical Bulletin "Ambulance Services, England 2000–01". A copy is in the Library and available on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0115.htm.
	Following a review of standards in 1996 ambulance services were required to introduce systems to prioritise emergency calls. Two Shires Ambulance NHS trust moved to the new system from 1 April 1998. In 1998–99 and each year since then Two Shires has met and exceeded the target for Category B calls—95 per cent. within 19 minutes (rural service target).
	On Category A calls the trust has been making steady progress towards the target of 75 per cent. within eight minutes. Details of performance are in the statistical bulletin.
	The Two Shires Ambulance NHS trust is expected to achieve the 75 per cent. target for Category A this year.

Macular Degeneration

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned in each of the last five years into the causes and treatments of age-related macular degeneration; what further research he intends to commission; and how much his Department has spent on this research in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 15 January 2002
	The main Government agency for research into the causes and treatment of disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC), which is funded through the Department of Trade and Industry. MRC expenditure on research since 1997 that is directly relevant to macular degeneration is estimated as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1997–98 300,000 
			 1998–99 82,000 
			 1999–2000 78,000 
			 2000–01 140,000 
		
	
	The MRC has funded a number of projects looking at macular degeneration. Projects include:
	Radiotherapy in the treatment of subfoveal neovascular membranes (CNVM) in age related macular degeneration of the eye: a randomised controlled trial.
	Dr. G. Silvestri Queen's University of Belfast: Refining phenotypic variation in age related macular degeneration.
	Professor R. D. Lund: Schwann and schwann cell line transplantation to prevent photoreceptor loss.
	Professor U. Chakravarthy: Optical coherence tomography scanning of diseases of the macular of the eye.
	Dr. R. W. Yates: Genetic Susceptibility to Age Related Macular Degeneration
	The MRC always welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health and these are judged in open competition with other demands on funding. Awards are made according to their scientific quality and importance to human health. The Department has supported, through national and regional programmes, research on macular degeneration. Projects include an on-going project due to complete in July 2002 on "A clinical technique for measuring macular pigment optical density in patients with macular degeneration".

Macular Degeneration

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of people treated in the last year with photodynamic therapy in the private sector following a diagnosis of wet age-related macular degeneration in an NHS hospital.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 15 January 2002
	As the Department does not routinely collect information on operations carried out privately, we are unable to make an estimate.

Macular Degeneration

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the therapies licensed in the UK for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration; when they were licensed; how much the NHS has spent on them; and how many people have benefited from them in each of the last three years.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 15 January 2002
	Currently the only product licensed for the indication age- related macular degeneration is Visudyne. A European- wide licence was granted by the European Commission on 27 July 2000. We do not hold information on the number of patients treated with Visudyne or the amount of the product that the national health service has purchased.

Macular Degeneration

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether photodynamic therapy of age-related macular degeneration is generally available within the NHS.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 15 January 2002
	The treatment is not generally available under the national health service. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is carrying out an appraisal of the use of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of macular disease which they expect to complete in July. The Department has asked NHS bodies to continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies where guidance from NICE is not available at the time the technology first became available. These arrangements should involve an assessment of all relevant factors including the available evidence on effect.

Macular Degeneration

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of people diagnosed each year with age-related macular degeneration.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 15 January 2002
	A recent study sponsored by the Macular Disease Society estimated that there are currently 182,000 people suffering from age-related macular degeneration with a best eye visual acuity below that judged appropriate for certification as blind or partially sighted. The study forecast that this number would increase to 194,000 by 2008.

NHS Appointments

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that hon. Members are notified of appointments to new health authorities and trusts covering their constituencies; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 15 January 2002
	This is a matter for the National Health Service Appointments Commission. At present, all appointments to NHS boards are publicised locally by press release. I have also asked the commission to ensure that hon. Members are informed of all of appointments made to trusts, health authorities and primary care trusts which serve their constituencies.

NHS Prescriptions

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from community pharmacists based in Teesside concerning the cut in the fee paid for dispensing NHS prescriptions.

Hazel Blears: We have received a letter from my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough (Mr. Bell) enclosing representations on this matter from a community pharmacist based in his constituency.

Westmorland General Hospital

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to extend services at the Westmorland General Hospital's emergency and minor accident department;
	(2)  what change in service levels has taken place at the Westmorland General Hospital's emergency and minor accident department in each of the last five years;
	(3)  if he will make a statement on the merits of operating a 24-hour minor accident department at the Westmorland General Hospital;
	(4)  how many ambulance emergency cases were taken to the Westmorland General Hospital's emergency and minor accident department in each of the last five years; and how many of these were then taken to Lancaster Royal Infirmary;
	(5)  what his plans are for the future of Westmorland General Hospital; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  what assistance he provides to recruit extra staff to work at the Westmorland General Hospital's emergency and minor accident department;
	(7)  how many people have been treated at the Westmorland General Hospital's emergency and minor accident department in each of the last five years; and how many of these were treated between the hours of 11.00 pm and 6.00 am;
	(8)  if he will ensure that the Westmorland General Hospital's emergency and minor accident department continues to operate on a 24-hour basis;
	(9)  what the recommended manpower level is for doctors in an emergency and minor accident department.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 17 January 2001
	Morecambe Bay Hospitals National Health Service Trust and Morecambe Bay Primary Care Trust intend to review the delivery of emergency and out-of-hours services for residents of South Lakeland. This work will take place with full public involvement and in the context of existing and developing national guidelines, the local modernisation review process and relevant staffing considerations. It is anticipated that detailed information of the nature requested will emerge as part of that exercise. A report, with recommendations, will be produced by 31 May 2002, to be considered by the boards of the trust, primary care trust and Cumbria ambulance service. Any proposals for significant variations in existing service provision would, of course, be subject to full public consultation at a later stage.

Health Authorities

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent guidance he has issued on the balance of representation from different parliamentary constituencies in cases where several constituencies are covered by the same health authority or NHS trust.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 17 January 2001
	No such guidance has been issued. Appointments to the boards of national health service trusts, health authorities and primary care trusts are now a matter for the NHS Appointments Commission. The commission always aims to ensure that board membership properly reflects the geographical area served by the NHS body.

Health Authorities

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent guidance he has issued on increasing the representation of (a) women, (b) members of ethnic minority communities and (c) other under-represented groups on NHS trusts and health authorities.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 17 January 2002
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State issues equal opportunities goals and objectives on an annual basis for all public appointments to national health service boards, special health authorities and non-departmental public bodies. The goals and objectives set in July 2001 for achievement by December 2004 are available in the Library.
	We have made huge strides over recent years in increasing the proportion of women and black and ethnic minority candidates appointed NHS boards. 49 per cent. of all NHS board members and 41 per cent. of chairs are now women, and 12 per cent. of members are black or from ethnic minorities. This compares with figures of only 39 per cent. and 5 per cent. at the time of the 1997 general election. The proportion of disabled candidates appointed over the last five years has also more than doubled. As a result, the boards of these bodies are now much more representative of the communities they serve.

Health Authorities

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action is being taken to seek applications from those living in communities with the greatest health needs for non-executive appointments on health authorities and NHS trusts.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 17 January 2002
	All vacancies for national health service boards are now widely advertised within the communities they serve. Candidates who apply are all assessed on their merits against criteria laid down by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. The criteria require among other things that, to be appointed, candidates must be able to demonstrate a commitment to the needs of the local community and have a strong personal commitment to the NHS.

West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many candidates (a) applied and (b) were interviewed for (i) the chairmanship and (ii) the post of chief executive of the new west midlands, south strategic health authority.

Yvette Cooper: I understand from the National Health Service Appointments Commission that there were six applications for the chair post, and three candidates were interviewed.
	91 individuals applied in response to the advertisement to recruit chief executives designate to all strategic health authorities. 52 candidates were interviewed for all posts. Appointments were made to each authority from a shortlist of successful candidates.
	Candidates were asked to indicate their preference in their applications in terms of the geographical location they wish to work based on the current NHS regional boundaries. 26 applicants expressed an interest in being a chief executive of a strategic health authority in the west midlands, either exclusively or as a multiple choice. 11 were interviewed.

NHS Trusts (Worcestershire)

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many candidates (a) applied and (b) were interviewed for the chairmanship of the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust after the resignation of Mr. Harold Musgrove.

Yvette Cooper: I understand from the National Health Service Appointments Commission that there were 17 applications for the post, and four candidates were interviewed.

NHS Trusts (Worcestershire)

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria were used to select the Chairman of the South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust.

Yvette Cooper: The criteria are set out in the National Health Service Appointments Commission guidance on the appointments process for NHS chairs and non- executives, a copy of which is in the Library. The Appointments Commission will shortly be sending copies of the guidance to all hon. Members.

NHS Trusts (Worcestershire)

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many candidates (a) applied and (b) were interviewed for the chairmanship of the South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust.

Yvette Cooper: I understand from the National Health Service Appointments Commission that there were 11 applications for the post, and three candidates were interviewed.

Food Poisoning

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were treated for food poisoning arising from food prepared and consumed (a) at home and (b) by others outside the home, in each year since 1990.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not available centrally. The source of illness can generally be determined only when two or more cases are linked (an outbreak). The great majority of cases of food poisoning cannot be linked in this way.

Health Care Assistants

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many health care assistants were employed in (a) acute hospital trusts and (b) primary care trusts in England in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what measures he is taking to increase the recruitment of health care assistants in the (a) acute and (b) primary care sectors; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The information requested for the number of health care assistants is in the table.
	We aim to increase recruitment of health care assistants by developing career paths to encourage unqualified staff to work in the national health service across general practice and acute care. Dedicated investment in NVQ training will allow NHS staff to gain transferable skills to recognised national standards and enable more staff to gain qualifications to enter professional training and progress their careers further. In 2001–02 we expect over 2,000 health care assistants to start nurse training courses.
	Investing in staff who do not have a professional qualification supports the goal of increasing career opportunities and qualifications for the support work force, while improving the quality of direct care for patients and freeing up professionals to make better use of their skills.
	
		NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS)—health care assistants and unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff(28) employed by acute hospital trusts and PCTs in England as at 30 September each year -- Headcount
		
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 All England  
			 Health care assistants and unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 134,720 138,600 141,820 146,440 151,550 
			 of which:  
			 Health care assistants 20,220 21,500 24,630 25,470 27,500 
			 Unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 114,500 117,110 117,190 120,960 124,060 
			   
			 Acute hospital trusts  
			 Health care assistants and unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 45,150 45,780 40,290 40,290 43,670 
			 of which:  
			 Health care assistants 10,000 11,130 9,980 10,830 11,300 
			 Unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 35,150 34,650 30,320 29,460 32,360 
			 PCTs  
			 Health care assistants and unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff (29)— (29)— (29)— (29)— 500 
			 of which:  
			 Health care assistants (29)— (29)— (29)— (29)— 40 
			 Unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff (29)— (29)— (29)— (29)— 460 
		
	
	(28) Unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff includes unclassifiable staff
	(29) Not applicable
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	2. Due to rounding totals may not equal the sum of component parts.
	Source:
	Department of Health Non Medical Workforce Census

Ambulance Service

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the maximum number of casualties the Isle of Wight ambulance service could cope with in one incident; and what additional resources are required to meet a major incident.

Hazel Blears: It is not possible to define the number of casualties that the Isle of Wight could cope with in one incident. That would depend on the nature of the incident.
	Each incident is assessed by a duty officer, and if there were insufficient resources available locally to deal with the incident, we would instigate the escalation procedure in our major incident plan. This would involve calling upon the neighbouring ambulance services (Hampshire ambulance national health service) for assistance.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average number of attendances is per year in district general hospital accident and emergency departments in (a) England, (b) south-west England and (c) south-east England.

Hazel Blears: The Department does not collect this information in the form requested.
	Accident and emergency attendance is collected by national health service trusts.

Primary Care Trusts

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis primary care trusts will be funded from 2003–04.

John Hutton: We currently allocate funding to health authorities, and they allocate funding to primary care trusts, on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each health authority and primary care trust's fair share of available resources, to enable them to commission similar levels of services for populations in equal need.
	In future the intention is that allocations will be made direct to primary care trusts. This is subject to the passage of legislation through Parliament. Allocations will continue to be based on the principle of weighted capitation.

MMR

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the role of Dr. Elizabeth Miller (a) in the designing of safety studies into MMR, (b) in clearing the original UK trial cohort of 10,000 children and (c) in advising his Department on the safety of MMR.

Yvette Cooper: Dr. Elizabeth Miller is currently head of the Immunisation Division of the Communicable Diseases Surveillance Centre of the Public Health Laboratory Services (PHLS). With PHLS colleagues Dr. Miller has conducted a number of studies designed to investigate possible adverse effects of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines. The results of these studies have been subjected to independent peer review and published as follows:
	1. Miller C., Miller E., Rowe K., Bowie C., Judd M., Walker D. Surveillance of Symptoms following MMR Vaccine in Children. The Practitioner, 1989; 233: 69–75.
	2. Miller E., Goldacre M., Pugh S., Colville A., Farrington P., Flower A., Nash J., Macfarlane L., Tettmar R. Risk of aseptic meningitis after Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine in UK children. Lancet 1993;341:979–982.
	3. Farrington P., Pugh S., Colville A., Flower A., Nash J., Morgan-Capner P., Rush M., Miller E. A new method for active surveillance of adverse events from Diphtheria/ tetanus/pertussis and Measles/mumps/rubella vaccines. Lancet 1995; 345:567–569.
	4. Nash J.Q., Chandrakumar M., Farrington C.P., Williamson S., Miller E. Feasibility study for identifying adverse events attributable to vaccination by record linkage. Epidemiology and Infection 1995; 114: 475–480.
	5. Farrington C.P., Nash J., Miller E. Case Series Analysis of adverse reactions to vaccines: A comparative evaluation. American Journal of Epidemiology 1996;143:1165–73.
	6. Taylor B., Miller E., Farrington P., Petropoulos M.C., Favot-Mayaud I., Li J., Waight P.A. Autism and measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine: no epidemiological evidence for a causal association. Lancet 1999; 353:2026–2029.
	7. Miller E., Waight P., Farrington P., Andrews N., Stowe J., Taylor B. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and MMR vaccine (short report). Archives of Disease in Childhood 2001;84:227–229.
	8. Farrington C.P., Miller E., Taylor B. MMR and autism: further evidence against a causal association. Vaccine 2001; 19:3632–3635.
	Dr. Elizabeth Miller, under the direction of the then head of the immunisation division, Dr. Christine Miller, assisted in the design and analysis of the study in 10,000 children that was carried out in 1987–88. The results of that study were not used for licensure of MMR vaccine in the United Kingdom. The responsibility for licensure resides with the Medicines Control Agency and is based on the evidence of vaccine safety, efficacy and quality provided by the manufacturer.
	The Department would expect the head of the immunisation division to provide advice to the Department on all aspects of immunisation. Dr. Miller would also provide advice to the Department's independent advisory committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, and, as required to the Committee on Safety of Medicines.

Coronary Surgery (West Midlands)

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on waiting times for coronary surgery in the west midlands.

Yvette Cooper: We are committed to improving waiting times for cardiac surgery, and in the west midlands initiatives include a new £13 million purpose built cardiac surgery critical care unit which recently opened at the University Hospitals Birmingham national health service trust.
	A new purpose built cardiac surgery centre is being developed at the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS trust, which is due to open in 2004, and is the first new specialist cardiac centre to be built in the west midlands for 30 years. The cardiac surgery unit at Stoke-on-Trent is also being expanded in 2002.
	In the interim, private capacity is also being purchased at Leicester BUPA Hospital and the Priory Hospital, Birmingham to ensure no patient waits longer than 15 months.
	In order to facilitate the treatment of urgent patients within the region, a cardiac services capacity manager has been appointed to ensure that urgent patients in the west midlands are treated quickly.

Renal Transplants

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the reasons are for his proposed transfer of renal transplant operations from St. Helier to St. George's; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Any decision to transfer renal transplant operations from St. Helier to St. George's hospitals will be decided locally. St. George's, Epsom and St. Helier national health service trusts, Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth health authority, Merton and Sutton community health council and patient groups are all working to ensure that any proposals put forward are in the best interests of the patients and staff of the renal service. A final decision will not be made until the health authority has conducted a formal public consultation which will commence in March 2002.

Haywood Hospital

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what remedial action is planned following the clean hospitals programme report into Haywood hospital, Stoke-on-Trent.

Yvette Cooper: I am advised that the action plan agreed by the North Staffordshire Hospital National Health Service Trust following the clean hospitals programme report into Haywood hospital following the inspection in March is progressing well and includes:
	a large redecoration programme including the entrance, main reception areas, wards and common areas;
	improvements to internal and external signage;
	improvements to visitors' toilet facilities;
	investment in new furniture—improving the overall quality of the furniture stock;
	improvements to catering services;
	implementation of in-house support services staff performance monitoring scheme;
	improvements to hospital grounds and gardens.
	We believe that infection control and basic hygiene should be at the heart of good management and clinical practice in the NHS which is why we have a £60 million clean hospitals programme.
	The clean hospitals programme is intended to introduce and restore standards in cleanliness and the patient environment. Delivery progress under the clean hospitals programme is showing tangible improvements in every hospital.

Spending Review

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to appraise the environmental implications of its Spending Review submission to the Treasury.

John Hutton: holding answer 21 January 2002
	Environmental implications are considered as part of the normal policy making process, which includes spending review proposals.

Contact Lenses

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on, and what assessments he has made of, the health implications of the sale of cosmetic patterned contact lenses.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 21 January 2002
	The General Optical Council (GOC) has proposed to the Department that the sale of cosmetic contact lenses, which do not have a corrective refractory power, be subject to tighter regulation because of the risk to eye health from the misuse of contact lenses. Views differed when we consulted on this proposal and, to inform our policy considerations, we are collaborating with the GOC on an assessment of the extent of the risks.

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to bring forward changes to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 to allow a child of a deceased father to include his or her father's name on their birth certificate.

Yvette Cooper: We supported a private Members Bill on this last year, which unfortunately had not completed all its stages when the general election was called. We are committed to bring forward this legislation as soon as parliamentary time is found.

NHS

Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in the discussions taking place on the new pay structure for the NHS involving a nation-wide job evaluation exercise.

John Hutton: Considerable progress is being made in the "Agenda for Change" pay modernisation talks. In particular the job evaluation scheme has been developed further so that it is now generating credible and consistent results over the range of jobs covered by the United Kingdom-wide national health service. It has now been used to carry out evaluations on around 400 examples of the most common NHS jobs, which provides the basic data needed for negotiating the new pay structure. The central negotiating group has prepared negotiating documents covering all areas of the new pay system, with remaining differences between the Health Department's proposals and the views of staff representative organisations highlighted.
	We have decided to leave final decisions on the new system until after the 2002 Spending Review is announced. Until then all parties have agreed that the job evaluation scheme and models of a new pay structure should continue to be developed. The aim will be to complete this work as early as possible this year to enable swift agreement with a view to starting implementation at the earliest possible opportunity.

PFI Contracts

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the order of costs incurred by private sector PFI partners in securing contracts for community hospital building projects; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Information is not held centrally of costs incurred by private sector firms in bidding for community hospital projects. Such costs are incorporated into a bidder's best and final offer which national health service bodies compare to their public sector comparator to determine which option offers better value for money.

PFI Contracts

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many private sector PFI partners are available for community hospital building projects of the order of £25 to £35 million; which are acceptable to his Department; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Listed are private finance initiative projects with a capital value of between £10 million and £35 million which have been signed with private sector partners. This captures the private sector constructors which are involved in delivering medium size hospital schemes, including community hospitals.
	
		
			  Trust  Project description Capital value(30)  Constructor 
		
		
			 Cornwall Health Care NHS Trust Bodmin Community Hospital 10.20 Grosvenor House Group plc 
			 Redbridge Health Care NHS Trust Mental Health Reprovision and Geriatric Day Centre 10.80 Ryhurst (Redbridge) Ltd. 
			 East London and the City Mental Health NHS Trust Mental Health Reprovision 12.08 Allenbuild (South East) 
			 Royston Buntingford and Bishop's Stortford Primary Care NHS Trust Herts and Essex Hospital 14.70 Rydon Construction 
			 Luton and Dunstable Hospitals NHS Trust St. Mary's Wing 14.70 MJ Gleeson Group 
			 Oxleas NHS Trust Reprovision of Mental Health 15.00 Ryhurst (Bexley) Ltd. 
			 Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust ENT/Ophthalmology 16.60 Glugston PF Ltd. 
			 Northumbria Health Care NHS Trust Phase 11 Development of Wansbeck General 17.82 MJ Gleeson Group 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust Maternity and Acute Development, Hull Royal Infirmary 18.19 Bilfinger and Berger/Haden Young 
			 Sussex Weald and Downs NHS Trust Graylingwell Hospital Reprovision 22.00 James Longley/Kier Regional 
			 Northumbria Health Care NHS Trust Redevelopment of Hexham General Hospital 29.10 Bovis Group 
			 West Berkshire Priority Care Services NHS Trust Prospect Park mental health redevelopment 29.70 Kier Group 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust Acute Rationalisation 33.00 Bougyes UK 
		
	
	(30) £ million

Children's Commissioner

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the benchmark criteria his Department uses to evaluate the performance of the children's commissioner for Wales for the purpose of considering and evaluating the need for the creation of a children's commissioner for England.

Jacqui Smith: All parts of the United Kingdom are united in a common aim to improve safeguards for children. However, devolution means that we can each take different paths to achieve that common goal.
	We are committed to learning the lessons from the Welsh experience of appointing a children's commissioner that prove relevant to England. To this end, departmental officials will continue to liaise with officials in the National Assembly for Wales, in order specifically to learn more about how the commissioner in Wales may be adding value to children's lives in Wales and improving outcomes for Welsh children.
	Here in England, we have made major advances through the creation of the children and young people's unit, the children's rights director and the national clinical director for children.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Intrusive Surveillance

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many intrusive surveillance operations were authorised by (a) chief officers of police and (b) customs officials in the United Kingdom in each year from 1995.

John Denham: holding answer 22 January 2002
	No records are centrally held of the number of intrusive surveillance operations authorised by chief officers of police or customs officials from I January 1995 to 22 February 1999. The number of intrusive surveillance operations authorised by the chief officers of police and customs officials since 22 February 1999 are as follows:
	
		
			   Chief officers of police Customs officials 
		
		
			 22 February to 31 December 1999 1,432 346 
			 1 January to 31 December 2000 1,609 523 
			 1 January to 31 December 2001 458 38 
			 1 January to 17 January 2002 20 7

Intrusive Surveillance

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what controls govern the monitoring of conversations by equipment which picks up vibrations in window panes.

John Denham: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000 provides a statutory basis for the authorisation of intrusive surveillance. RIPA also provides for independent oversight of such authorisations by the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner and the Intelligence Services Commissioner.

Intrusive Surveillance

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if use by the law enforcement agencies of technology which remotely takes a phone off the hook and thereby allows the monitoring of conversations close to that phone requires authorisation as if it were a telephone intercept; and whether the use by others of such technology constitutes a criminal offence.

John Denham: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The monitoring of conversations by law enforcement agencies which are not conducted on a public or private telecommunication system fall within the surveillance provisions of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000. RIPA provides a statutory basis for the authorisation of intrusive surveillance. RIPA also provides for independent oversight of such authorisations by the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner.

Schengen Information System

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2001, Official Report, column 84–85W, if she will list (a) the areas in which the Justice and Home Affairs Council is examining the scope for SIS II to have an increased range of functions and (b) the authorities being considered eligible for access to SIS data.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 22 January 2002
	This work is at a very early stage. Officials in the relevant council working group are examining the possible future requirements for SIS II and proposals will be submitted to the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council at key stages in the process. A first discussion of this work was held by the Mixed Committee with Norway and Iceland, meeting at ministerial level in the margins of the JHA Council on 6–7 December 2001 and reported to the House in my reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Clydesdale (Mr. Hood) on 14 January 2002, Official Report, column 89W. The authorities which would be considered eligible for access to SIS data will be determined according to the purpose for which it is agreed that data will be stored. This work will require amendment to the Schengen acquis and will thus be the subject of formal decisions at European Union level; these will be subject to United Kingdom parliamentary scrutiny in the normal way.

Asylum Seekers

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average time taken from receipt of an asylum appeal by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate and to (a) the ending of the appeal to the Immigration Appellate Authority, (b) determination of the appeal by an adjudicator and (c) where leave to appeal is granted final determination of the appeal by the Immigration Appeal Tribunal.

Angela Eagle: For the 12 months ending 30 September 2001, data from the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA) for those cases where data are available indicate that the cumulative average times taken from the receipt of an asylum appeal by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to:
	(a) the receipt of an appeal by the IAA is nine weeks;
	(b) the determination by an adjudicator is 25 weeks;
	(c) the final determination by the Immigration Appeal Tribunal is 45 weeks.

Crime Reduction Violence Against Women Initiative

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the projects financed under the Crime Reduction Violence Against Women Initiative until March.

John Denham: The information is as follows:
	Standing Together—Civil (Hammersmith and Fulham, London)
	West Somerset Polaroid Cameras (Taunton)
	Brighton and Hove Intimidated Witness Support Scheme
	Gloucestershire Co-ordinated Community Response
	Zero Tolerance/South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre (Thurrock)
	Southampton Rape Crisis Star project
	NSPCC (National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children)
	Patchwork Domestic Violence project (North Yorkshire)
	Bridgend Education
	Hastings and Rother Rapid Response Crisis Intervention Team
	Buxton Women's Aid
	St. Austell Support Workers
	Warwickshire Domestic Violence Support Services (Stratford- upon-Avon)
	Thurrock Police Co-ordinator
	Rhondda Cynon Taff, South Wales Alarms
	Birmingham Reducing Domestic Violence project
	Tower Hamlets Stop the Violence project
	Croydon Domestic Violence Advocacy project
	Birmingham Health Development (south west Birmingham)
	North Devon and Torridge Early Intervention project
	Salford GP Evidence Gathering
	Wakefield Primary Health Care project
	Standing Together—Health (Hammersmith and Fulham, London)
	Cheshire Multiple Interventions
	Northampton Domestic Violence Action Centre
	Camden Safety Net
	Bradford Staying Put
	St. Mary's Rape and Sexual Assault Centre—Training of a Forensic Nurse (Manchester)
	STAR (Surviving Trauma After Rape) (West Yorkshire)
	REACH (Rape Examination, Advice, Counselling, Help) (Newcastle upon Tyne)
	Understanding attrition, decreasing early withdrawals and developing best practice for reported rape (research project)
	Rape Crisis development of data systems
	Sex offenders: an exploration of discriminatory factors, repeat victimisation and risk (research project)
	National evaluation of sexual assault centres
	Rape perpetrator programme
	Young male perpetrator programme and witness support (Hull).

Child Curfew Orders

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many child curfew orders have been issued in Essex in each of the last five years for which records exist.

John Denham: holding answer 18 January 2002
	No applications have been received to impose child curfew schemes under section 14 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Sections 48 and 49 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, which took effect on 1 August 2001, extended the upper age limit to 15 and allowed the police, as well as local authorities, to initiate schemes. Local areas are assessing the implications of these changes and we know that local consultation is taking place.

Community Sentence Orders

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is the practice of the Probation Service not to exercise arrest warrants for those breaking the terms of community sentence orders if they have been outstanding for more than a year; and if he will make a statement.

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is the practice of the Probation Service not to exercise arrest warrants for those breaking the terms of community sentence orders if they have been outstanding for more than a year; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Each case is dealt with on it merits. There is no general policy that a warrant outstanding for a year, or indeed any particular period of time, should be returned to the court to consider withdrawal.

Community Sentence Orders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many outstanding arrest warrants issued for those breaking the terms of community sentences there are; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: I have been asked to reply.
	Lead responsibility for execution of community penalty breach warrants was transferred from the police to magistrates courts committees on 1 April 2001. Prior to the transfer, statistics on community penalty breach warrants were not routinely kept. The Lord Chancellor's Department is now collecting data but complete figures are not yet available. Of the community penalty breach warrants issued since the transfer 8,014 were outstanding as at 28 December 2001.

Prison Sales

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what plans he has to sell Holloway Prison; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to sell Wormwood Scrubs Prison.

Beverley Hughes: There are no current plans to sell Holloway or Wormwood Scrubs prisons.

Trial by Jury

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the future of trial by jury;
	(2)  what plans he has to introduce legislation to allow the overturning of perverse verdicts returned by juries as recommended by the Auld report; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Bradley: Sir Robin Auld's review of the criminal courts, the report of which was published last October, made a number of recommendations with major implications for trial by jury. The report is currently the subject of public consultation, and the Government will consider their response in the light of the views received.

New Deal (Young People)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed by the Department under the new deal for young people; and at what cost to public funds.

John Denham: The Home Office currently employs a total of 11 people under the new deal for young people.
	New deal recruits take up existing vacancies so extra costs are limited to the subsidy, where appropriate, and any additional training and development which may be needed. The costs of the latter cannot be readily identified.

Crime (Coventry)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures have been taken in Coventry to improve the protection of pensioners in their homes from burglary.

John Denham: holding answer 21 January 2002
	Coventry is covered by our home security scheme for low-income pensioners living in areas with burglary rates above the national average. This provides security checks and additional security measures where needed for eligible pensioners, including better door locks, window locks, door chains and viewers.
	In addition, a total of over £320,000 funding has been provided for five projects in Coventry under the reducing burglary initiative. These projects, while not specifically aimed at the elderly, target local burglary problems and are of benefit to the community as a whole.
	Locally, the Coventry Crime and Disorder Partnership is undertaking work on crime against older people (particularly distraction burglary) as part of its wider community safety plans and strategies.

Mobile Phone Theft

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will introduce guidelines for the mobile telephony companies to share the international mobile equipment identity code when mobiles are stolen.

John Denham: holding answer 21 January 2002
	As part of the on-going work of the Home Secretary's Mobile Phone Steering Group, we are currently in discussion with the mobile phone industry and the police about the feasibility of setting up and implementing a shared database of stolen handset IMEI numbers.

Mr. Robert Clark

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what representations he has received on the handling by the Police Complaints Authority of a complaint by Mr. Leslie Clark into the case of Mr. Robert Clark;
	(2)  what representations he has received regarding the handling by the Metropolitan police service of a complaint by Mr. Leslie Clark into the case of Mr. Robert Clark.

John Denham: holding answer 21 January 2002
	My right hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Clarke), in his former capacity as a Minister of State, Home Department received representations on this subject from the hon. Member and replied to his correspondence in February and April of last year.

Police (Complaints)

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints received by the Metropolitan police service from members of the public during 2000 were (a) forwarded to the Police Complaints Authority and (b) recorded initially as complaints and then reclassified and cancelled.

John Denham: holding answer 21 January 2002
	From 1 January to 31 December 2000 there were 6,211 public allegations against the Metropolitan police service, making up 3,887 cases. Of these, 3,050 allegations (49 per cent.) have so far been referred to the Police Complaints Authority. There are 60 allegations (1 per cent.) that are shown as 'Not Resolved' or 'De-Recorded'.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to implement recommendation 49 of Setting the Boundaries to introduce into UK domestic law a specific offence of people trafficking for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation.

Keith Bradley: Home Office Ministers are currently considering this and all of the other recommendations made to Government by the Sex Offences Review, in the light of responses to a public consultation process. The Government have indicated their intention to introduce new legislation to target the evils of trafficking in human beings. They are considering how that legislation should be framed and are examining suitable legislative vehicles.
	The new legislation will also implement our international obligation in respect of trafficking, contained in the United Nations (UN) Protocol on Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children for Sexual Purposes, the UN Convention on Transnational Organised Crime, and a European Union (EU) Framework Decision on Trafficking currently under negotiation.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received to amend section 22 of the Sex Offences Act 1956 to make it an offence for a person to procure under 18s for the purposes detailed in sections 22(1), (a)(b) and (c) of the legislation.

Keith Bradley: The Sex Offences Review recommended to Government that section 22 of the Sex Offences Act 1956 should be replaced with a range of gender neutral offences relating to the commercial sexual exploitation of a child under 18 and the trafficking of a person for the purposes of sexual exploitation.
	Home Office Ministers are considering this recommendation and the responses received during the consultation period in light of the Government's intention to introduce new legislation to target the evils of trafficking in human beings and the United Kingdom's international obligations in this regard.

Police Custody (Deaths)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths in police custody there were in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by force; what is being done to reduce the number of recorded deaths in police custody; what action he will take as a result of responses received to the recent consultation document concerning deaths in police custody; and if he will publish, following the conclusion of the consultation, a list of those who responded to it.

John Denham: Statistics for deaths in police custody for 2000–01 were published on 29 November 2001. Copies can be found in the Library. The total number of deaths in custody fell from 70 in 1999–2000 to 52 in 2000–01. Police forces are taking a range of actions to reduce the number of deaths. These include safer custody facilities, close circuit television (CCTV) monitoring and an emphasis on better care, assessment and monitoring of detainees. Work is also in hand to develop a national protocol to cover health care professionals working within the custody environment.
	The responses received to our recent consultation document concerning the definition of deaths in police custody will be fully considered before changes are introduced. I will publish a list of those who responded.

Tetra Communications System

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Tetra communications system is to be introduced in police forces nationwide; what recent discussions he has had with the Police Federation and others concerning its safety; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: Airwave, the new national communications service for the police forces, is being introduced throughout England, Wales and Scotland. It is already operational in Leicestershire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester and will be ready for service in North Yorkshire, Suffolk and West Mercia by the end of February 2002. It is planned to complete the roll-out in England and Wales by 2004, and in Scotland during 2005.
	In November 2001 the Home Secretary and I met with representatives of the Police Federation to discuss their concerns on health and safety aspects of the Tetra technology used by Airwave. The Home Office has provided answers to the questions raised by the Police Federation. These can be found on the website of the Police Information Technology Organisation (www.pito.org.uk).

Crime Statistics (Midlothian)

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the figures are for crime against the person in the Midlothian constituency in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available; what percentage of this figure was related to mobile phone crime; and what the Government are doing to (a) help reduce crime and (b) improve community safety in the Midlothian constituency.

John Denham: This detailed information on Midlothian is a matter for the Scottish Executive. But Scotland should benefit from work undertaken in England and Wales in researching the problem of mobile phone theft, and in working with the industry. Although other measures are important, more needs to be done by the industry to enhance the security of their product, and we are pressing them to do more to prevent their customers from becoming the victims of crime.
	We have succeeded in gaining the commitment of United Kingdom phone operators to some early measures to test ways of putting stolen phones out of action. In particular, we are exploring with the police and the operators a Dutch initiative which disables stolen phones by "bombing" them with teletext messages every few minutes. The operators have also agreed to improve security as investment takes place in new systems, and we are seeking similar commitments from manufacturers.

Animal Welfare

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the use of animal experimentation and animal welfare in universities.

Angela Eagle: Some 40 per cent. of regulated scientific procedures using live animals in Great Britain are conducted in universities and medical schools. They form part of a wide range of programmes of fundamental and applied medical research.
	All such procedures in the United Kingdom are regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The Act provides for a three-tier licensing system covering the establishments concerned, the research programmes undertaken, and the individuals carrying out the work.
	Under the Act the procedures can be licensed for only a limited number of permitted purposes, and then only if there is no alternative to the use of animals. Moreover, use of animals will not be permitted unless the benefits of the proposed research are deemed to outweigh the welfare costs to the animals. The number of animals then used, and the suffering they are caused, must be minimised. This reflects the application of the "three Rs" in relation to animal experimentation; replacing the use of animals with alternative methods, reducing the number of animals needed for a particular purpose and refining the procedures to minimise suffering.
	The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate assesses all licence applications and monitors compliance with licence authorities to ensure appropriate standards of animal welfare. Required minimum standards for the housing and care of the animals are set out in detail in published codes of practice.

Hertfordshire Police Force

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were serving in the Hertsmere Division of the Hertfordshire Police Force on (a) 1 July 2001, (b) 1 October 2001 and (c) 1 January 2002.

John Denham: The information in the table has been provided by the chief constable of Hertfordshire constabulary. On 1 October 2001 Hertsmere division joined with two other divisions to become part of the 'Central Area'. To provide a proper comparison, the table shows the total officers on 1 July 2001 deployed on the three divisions which now make up the Central Area; and totals for the Central Area on 1 October 2001 and 1 January 2002.
	
		
			 Date Police officers 
		
		
			 1 July 2001 420 
			 1 October 2001 419 
			 1 January 2002 417

Hertfordshire Police Force

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how 
	(1)  many officers were recruited by the Hertfordshire constabulary in each year since 1983;
	(2)  how many officers left the Hertfordshire constabulary in each year since 1983.

John Denham: The information requested is set out in the table.
	
		
			 Year Officers recruited Total officer leaving 
		
		
			 1982–83(31) 62 (34)— 
			 1983–84(31) 62 (34)— 
			 1984–85(31) 74 (34)— 
			 1985–86(31) 72 52 
			 1986–87(31) 95 85 
			 1987–88(31) 114 97 
			 1988–89(31) 107 79 
			 1989–90(31) 101 100 
			 1990(32) 74 69 
			 1991(33) 96 62 
			 1992(33) 73 73 
			 1993(33) 54 59 
			 1994(33) 72 55 
			 1995–96(33) 109 80 
			 1996–97(33) 148 90 
			 1997–98(33) 78 95 
			 1998–99(33) 79 91 
			 1999–2000(33) 167 115 
			 2000–01(33) 110 117 
		
	
	(31) Source:
	Hertfordshire constabulary records 1982–990 Hertfordshire constabulary records are kept by financial year (April to March). The force does not have wastage figures for before 1984–85.
	(32) 1990 only represents nine months from April to December 1990 due to changes in Home Office collection and collation arrangements (April-June from Hertfordshire constabulary records, July-December from Home Office records.
	(33) Source:
	Home Office Statistics 1990–2001. Home Office data was kept by calendar year until 1995 when this was changed to financial year. The data for 1995–96 therefore represents 15 months from January 1995 to March 1996.
	(34) Not available

Driving Offences

Ann Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers were successfully prosecuted in 2001 for a driving offence; and how many of these offences involved the use of a hand-held mobile phone.

John Denham: Statistics on prosecutions for motoring offences in 2001 will be published in the autumn.
	There is no separate offence of driving a vehicle using a hand-held mobile telephone, and any prosecution is likely to be for driving without due care and attention or for not being in proper control of a vehicle.

Foreign Armed Forces

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department further to his answer of 2 November 2001, Official Report, column 862W, on foreign armed forces, what protections under international instruments are available for individuals (a) serving under the command of and (b) associated with the armed forces of the former Government of Afghanistan.

Peter Hain: I have been asked to reply.
	Categories of persons who are prisoners of war (POWs), or who are to be treated as POWs, are set out in Geneva Convention III and, where applicable, Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions. The legal status of a detainee has to be determined by reference to these provisions in each individual case. Those detainees who do not enjoy prisoner of war status must in any event be treated humanely.

Protection of Children

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average prison term is for a person convicted of child abuse.

Beverley Hughes: 'Child Abuse' is not a specific offence but actions of this nature can be prosecuted under a number of offences. Recorded crime statistics show the categories of offence with the largest numbers of offences specifically against children are: cruelty or neglect to a child (2,558 offences in 2000–01) and gross indecency with a child (1,336 offences in 2000–01).
	In the year 2000, 616 prisoners were received for the offence of gross indecency with a child. They had been given, on average, a sentence of 27.5 months. In the same year, 124 prisoners were received for the offence of cruelty to a child. They had been given, on average, a sentence of 16.4 months.
	Other offenders imprisoned for actions against children would have been included in offence categories that do not separately identify children, eg rape, incest, homicide, etc. It is not possible to identify the sentence lengths given for these cases from central records, although all those convicted of murder would have received a mandatory life sentence.
	Under the broad review of sentencing that began in July, the Government are looking at tougher determinate sentences for sex offenders that will ensure they stay in prison, up to the full term if necessary, so long as they continue to present a risk of harm to our communities and that they are subject to strict and extended supervision on release. The Government are also looking at a requirement that where a life sentence is an option judges should not shy away from using it if the professional evidence shows that there is a clear risk that the offender will commit further sex offences.

Child Asylum Seekers

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on (i) the numbers of and (ii) factors leading to unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the UK.

Angela Eagle: We have not commissioned any research or evaluation into the factors which lead unaccompanied minors to seek asylum in the United Kingdom. However, the Research Development Statistics (RDS) Directorate is currently in discussion with the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to identify any possible research needs in this area.
	Information on the numbers of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in the United Kingdom is already available (up to August 2001).
	Information on unaccompanied minors is published annually in the statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom", a copy of which is available in the Library, and from the RDS website: http:// www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.